


You're the last and only thing I need

by Vanemis



Category: Far Cry 3
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Happy Ending, M/M, Smut, Suicide Attempt, Violence, post apocalyptic setting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-10
Updated: 2015-11-06
Packaged: 2018-04-25 17:20:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 28,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4969678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanemis/pseuds/Vanemis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jason and his friends are stranded in Seattle after a virus attack. For some reason Vaas is there. Together they try to leave the desolate city in hope to go back home, to Rook Islands.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoy this fanfic. It is post apocalyptic and has clickers and infected from The Last of Us in it, hence the tag. Yes, this is leading to smut and it contains violence and swearing. Please feel free to comment! - Ash

The roads seemed empty as the group of friends made their way across the restricted area of Seattle.

Most people had been herded into large, quarantined areas surrounded by high concrete walls over several months ago. The entrances were constantly patrolled by armed guards who didn't care if they killed infected or clean citizens. To them, everyone is a danger.

It reminded Jason of the pirates on Rook. Always ready to kill and never once helping each other in tough situations.

  
The virus had spread through a chemical explosion set off during a terrorist attack about a year ago. At first, officials had claimed that it was harmless but as the condition of the victims worsened, the virus had already spread to various parts of the world through unaware travellers. It turned everybody into mindless creatures who seeked blood. They were difficult to kill and Jason had wasted many bullets along with his favourite knife before understanding that it was easier to stay in the open where he could see them coming.

  
Jason hated being so vulnerable, walking besides each building avoiding doorways and windows in fear of the infected jumping out at them. They had managed to escape the quarantined zones through a maze of underground tunnels and planks laid across the gaps between rooftops. A few guards had spotted them occasionally but they had been shot before they could signal for backup.

 

He looked back at his friends. It had been Daisy’s idea to visit Seattle for a change of scenery and just like their last holiday, it had ended in disaster and fear.

The two girls were barely keeping up with him and Ollie. Riley had stayed with their mother ever since they returned home two years ago. He had refused to leave California at any cost. By now he was either dead or infected. No one had heard from Keith after they had come home. He left with his belongings and never bothered to call. Liza had tried calling him but Keith hadn’t returned her calls and eventually changed number according to Daisy.

  
“We need to keep going. Liza, keep up," Jason spoke harshly, keeping his voice low. She weakly nodded and jogged forward until she stood behind him.

The sun was going down quickly and the group made refuge inside an abandoned shop.

  
“Where are we going, Jason? We’ve been following you for days and you still haven’t told us!” Ollie seethed where he sat on the shop counter.

  
“Look, I’m taking us where it’s safe, ok?”

Jason didn’t want to admit it but without him, they would have probably died by now. Only he was strong enough to deal with the stress and violence that engulfed their lives. The tataus were proof of his internal struggle and overcoming what the jungle had set against him. He also didn’t actually know where he was going.

  
“I just wish you would give us a name. Anything…” Ollie drifted off, like he did most of the time now. His eyes had lost their kind spark and now he was lifeless. It was the same for the others.

  
Daisy and Liza never left each other’s sides after returning home. They avoided most contact with strangers and kept a distance from Jason and Ollie. Daisy eventually let them back into her life and came up with a sight-seeing trip to the ‘Emerald city‘.

As Jason thought back to the moment he got the call from Daisy, the latter was preparing cans of preserved, tasteless food over a weak fire.

  
Of course, Jason had been surprised, even happy to hear from her but he had a gnawing feeling in his heart that things would turn out badly. But he packed a duffle bag with spare clothes, a handgun and a knife he had kept from Rook.

  
The blade was the length of his hand with a smooth edge and carved handle. It was a gift from the Rakyat when he first began to work alongside Citra. Jason shuddered. He hated the woman more than any other.  
She had lied and cheated her way to his heart until the moment he was willing to kill his friends. Fortunately he saw reason before slitting Liza’s throat, and that was the end of his short vacation. Citra was dead now, along with her psychotic brother, Vaas, and all of his lackeys. Not to mention Hoyt, too.  
Jason wondered what the islands were like now. The Rakyat had probably taken over by now, easily outnumbering the rest of the pirates and privateers.

 

“Dinner’s ready, guys.” Daisy called out, bringing Jason out of his reverie. She handed out a warmed bowl of soup and beans to each person’s open hand.

  
None of them had brought much with them before their escape and so only stolen tools and cutlery were available to them. They ate in silence before Jason took the night watch as the others laid down to sleep. Though it could hardly be called sleep, most nights they were woken up by gunfire, sirens and infected getting too close. It took a hard toll on the group and weariness made their movements slower.

 

This night was relatively calm as Jason dealt with two infected creatures effectively. The moon was bright overhead and the lack of working street lights gave Jason perfect sight as each creature stumbled blindly towards the heat of the burnt out fire.

He lined up his handgun and fired two rounds in the first creature’s skull. The impact was strong enough to knock it backwards as it died almost immediately. Two more rounds were also shot at the second one, who now knew where the sound came from. Jason missed as it began running towards him. He shot at it again, holding his breath until it collapsed to the floor, lifeless.

  
He breathed out, checking the streets again, before sitting back down on the dirty shop floor.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might update the next chapter today guys :)

As the sun began to filter through the shattered windows and smashed-open door, the sound of engines and yelling could be heard. Jason was startled awake and jumped to his feet, alerting the others.

  
“We need to move now!”

He grabbed his bag and gun, roughly shaking Ollie’s shoulder as he refused to budge.

“Fucking hell! Move!” He yelled.

The others drowsily stood up as Jason crouched by the window, checking the streets. He spotted an open doorway of an apartment building across from them.

“Guys, follow me.”

Making sure the others were behind him, Jason broke into a sprint. The others followed more slowly and as Liza was in the middle of the road, a truck turned around the corner.

  
On it were a dozen men heavily armed with assault riffles. They cheered, raising their weapons in the air as the truck accelerated towards the small group.

Liza was frozen still until Ollie grabbed her arm and dragged her inside. They ran through the building, eventually finding an exit door.

  
“It won’t budge!” Daisy cried out as Jason kicked it forcefully several times.

“Head upstairs!” He yelled, shooting one of the truck drivers in the chest. The group began running and soon found themselves on the roof of the small building.

Each time Jason killed a man, the time taken to reload allowed more enemies to get up the staircase. Speaking of which, he heard loud footsteps followed by incoherent yelling.

He aimed at a tall, heavily-built man and pulled the trigger. Only a clicking noise could be heard and the enemy grinned, raising his fists in the air. Jason sprinted towards him, sliding under the slow man’s legs before jumping on his back and twisting his neck expertly until he heard a sickening crack and the man fell beneath him.

Jason was still breathing normally, his heart rate barely accelerated. His friends were looking at him with wild eyes, begging to be told where to go. He spun quickly, surveying each possible path.  
The fire escape would lead to a road where the truck could possibly be parked. The two buildings on his left and right were too far away to jump onto, one’s roof over two meters above their current position. That left the stair case behind them, which was out of question.

“We’ll take the fire escape and hide in that massive building over there.”

He pointed to a construction site that led to a modern block of apartments. He went last ensuring that his friends made it down safely.

 

As they reached the alley way ground, they took cover behind a dumpster when Jason heard the truck drive past the road they needed to cross. It moved past without noticing them.

Once it had turned around a corner, the group ran towards the construction site, occasionally looking back to check whether they were being followed but no one was there.

  
Jason thought it was because they had lost half their men at his hands. He grinned, ignoring the confused looks given to him by the girls. They hid in a wide pipe to assess damage and to shelter from the light rain that had begun to fall during the attack.

Ollie was shaking, his hair and jacket slightly soaked but he seemed moderately fine. Liza was also shaking. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her knees as she sobbed. Daisy had an arm around her in a weak attempt to comfort her.

 

Jason knew he should’ve left them in quarantine. They were never made to deal with this sort of adrenaline filled life. The constant violence and primal urges pushing through as danger engulfed him was exactly what Jason had longed for the past two years.

He had tried time and time again to re-adjust, like a soldier back from war. He tossed and turned in his bed at night, every small noise had him reaching for the blade kept under his pillow. Jason knew he was safe in his apartment on the 8th floor in San Francisco.  
It was foolish to stay so alert but sleeping in the jungle surrounded by tigers and snakes left him aware of each noise and Jason often woke in the middle of the night, imagining the claws of some beast reaching out to him.

  
He dreamt of Citra and her beautiful dark skin displayed before him. Sometimes the image would change without his permission and he began to see Vaas underneath him, whispering his name as though in a trance.

At first, he hated himself for dreaming such things but over time he became used to it. Other nights, he would dream of the warm, white sand as he walked alongside the beaches of the North Island. He preferred those dreams. They felt real to him. So real that he could feel the heat of the sun on his exposed skin. But then he would wake up to a dull grey room, barely furnished. The sound of his bickering neighbours drove him insane enough to one day smash his fist against their door at 3am to tell them to shut the fuck up.

Jason couldn't go to a psychiatrist for his problems. If he ever told anyone else, he would be arrested on the spot or dragged into a mental hospital. No one would believe that there was an island with magic and tataus that made you stronger. Let alone let him get away with killing hundreds of people during his stay. Sure, most were slavers and rapers but a judge would never understanding his reasoning.

As Jason glanced at his friends, he heard the now-familiar truck engine. They began to panic so Jason quickly moved them across the remaining distance to the apartment block.

  
It took a while as Liza refused to jog faster in her ruined heels. The group eventually made it to the edge of the site only to see infected roaming through the ground floor of the building. Ollie began to sob loudly so Jason hushed him. He received glares from the three members in return. It seemed that everyone was content with being pathetic.

  
“We’ll head to the right. We should find shelter soon.”


	3. Chapter 3

The safest building had been entirely stripped of all furniture. It was surrounded by skyscrapers and had a basic concrete frame that was exposed through bullet holes and large gaps in the wall.

The inside looked worse. The once pale blue walls were chipped and cracked and the carpet was torn into thousands of smaller, dirty pieces. The windows were all shattered, from both the inside and outside.

  
“We should check the basement. There might be supplies down there,” Jason spoke, heading towards double doors that surely led to stairs.

“Or infected,” Ollie added.

Begrudgedly, the rest followed Jason into the dark stairwell. Soon they heard chattering and quiet laughs.

  
“Shit! Jason we shouldn't go down there! It could be the guys from the truck…” Daisy pleaded as she shifted from foot to foot.

  
“Well I'm heading down. You can stay up here by yourselves, if that’s what you prefer.”

Jason was sick of his friend’s cowardliness and how they were scared of everything. That’s why he had survived out in the jungle and all they could do was get captured again and again. If Grant could see- No, Jason pushed the unwanted thought of his dead brother away. This wasn't the time.

 

He crouched when he reached a door that was slightly ajar. Without moving the rest of his body, he glanced in. From his position, he could see a large room filled with blankets along the far and left walls. Nearer to him, on his left, were several men sitting around a fire, laughing and eating. Some were armed with rifles, others seemed to have almost nothing but rags on them. As he looked closer, a couple more men were lying close to the others, wrapped in blankets and seemingly asleep.

  
One man noticed Jason. He pointed at the door way just as Jason hid behind it.

  
“Listen, mate, unless you’re infected, you’re welcome to come in.” Jason turned to his friends who all shook their heads gesturing for him to stay hiding or go back up top.

 

However, being an idiot, he stood up and pushed the door open enough to stand in the doorway. He raised his hands in the air to show that he was weapon less. He had abandoned his gun during the fight.

  
A man stood from the barrel he had previously been occupying and moved towards the door. He was taller than Jason, with short black hair and a tanned, sculpted face. He seemed well-built but in an appealing way, like the models Jason had occasionally worked with. His clothes were dirty but nowhere near as bad as Jason’s.

  
“You hungry? You and your friends are welcome to join us.” His accent was unlike any other Jason had heard.

The man gestured at the others behind him. No one has moved except him so that means he must be their leader, Jason thought. How did he know about his friends? As Jason turned briefly to the door, he could see his idiotic friends standing right behind him. He mentally slapped each one before turning to the man.

  
“If it’s not too much bother…”

  
“Not at all, we've got plenty.” The man grinned and walked back to the fire. Jason followed him as the other three carefully stayed a safe distance from them.

 

Another man grabbed various pieces of furniture to use as make-shift seats. Jason sat closest to the tanned man. As he looked from face to face, he noticed each man had tanned skin.

  
“I'm Marc by the way.”

 _Marc_ gave a small wave as he smiled, handing Jason a bowl of roasted meat and vegetables. He proceeded to give Jason’s friends the same portion.

  
“What’s this made from?” Ollie asked, refusing to touch his food. Jason was about to tell him off for his rudeness before Marc gave him an understanding smile.

  
“It’s beef, so cows. It’s not human, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  
Ollie opened his mouth but shut it quickly, nodding curtly before taking a small bite. Jason turned back to his own meal.

  
Cannibals weren't difficult to find once food began to get rationed to extremes. Even in quarantine it was common. But it was not a subject that most wanted to discuss openly.

 

During their meal, Marc introduced each member. He smiled often and his simple ways boosted the group’s spirits.

  
“That’s Ben. Great sniper and overall fantastic guy.” He gestured to a short man sat on an old leather couch, wearing a padded jacket and beanie; his shoulder length hair peeking out underneath it. Ben waved and smiled.

  
“Max. Our amazing cook.” Another small man with dreads and large jacket, sitting next to Ben. He turned his head to the side at the compliment in a failed attempt to hide his embarrassment.

  
“Carlos. Another great shot.” This one was well-built like Marc and his long hair tied loosely at the base of his neck. He nodded at the group.

  
“Janos. Sniper extraordinaire.” Janos was tall and slim, his hands constantly fidgeting with the hem of his hoodie. His hair was cut short; black ink tattoos crawled along his neck and hands.

  
“Those two lazy fucks are Andy and Vaas. They take care of guarding this place at night and doing various nightly errands.” Marc pointed at two men sleeping beside each other.

Andy was curled up on his side whilst the other had wrapped a comforting arm around Andy. His face was buried in Andy’s neck and hidden by a fur-lined hood. Jason tensed upon hearing the second man’s name. He had barely paid attention to the sleeping men but now he kept looking at them when he thought no one would notice.

  
“And,” the door behind them creaked open and clicked shut. ”The tall one’s Paul, and the other guys are Gabriel and Andres. They search for survivors and any food or ammo.” Marc gestured to each one before handing the newcomers food.

  
“So who are you guys?” Marc leaned forward, seemingly devoting his whole attention to Jason.

  
“My name’s Jason, this is Liza,” He pointed to her and she seemed too lost in her thoughts to notice Marc’s “Hi.”

  
“That’s Daisy and Ollie. We've been travelling out here for about a week. Don‘t suppose you've got a car we could use?”

  
The men laughed before Ben spoke up,  
“If we did, we sure as hell wouldn't be here. How did you find us?”

  
“We weren't looking for you, we needed a place to sleep for the night and escape those assholes in the truck.”

Everyone tensed, Max awkwardly coughed.  
“Did they follow you here?”

Marc’s gentle tone was gone and it was replaced by a hard, low voice. Jason shook his head in denial before explain everything that had happened in the last few hours. His retelling calmed the men and soon the almost happy atmosphere was back.

  
“They used to patrol this area until we took over. There aren't any infected nearby either thanks to these guys.” Marc gestured to the others with a nod of his head. “Look, you said you needed a place to sleep. You’re welcome to stay here as long as you like for free. But if you guys know how to handle weapons, I’d ask that you help us out.”

  
“I'm more than capable of doing that.” Jason spoke, holding Marc’s eyes for a brief moment.

  
“Good! In that case, grab some blankets, we've even got pillows, and uh, get some rest.”

With that most of the group dispersed into their own little living area. Ben led Jason’s friends to the supply boxes. Jason stayed where he sat, looking down on the two sleeping men. They hadn’t moved an inch since Jason had sat down.

  
“You should sleep," Marc said, standing to pick up the dirty plates and drop them in a large bucket of water beside the couch.

  
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Thank you for your kindness, all of this is really appreciated.”

“Don’t worry about it, mate. Most of these guys are like you and your friends, they just stumbled upon our campsite and joined us.” Marc smiled, patting Jason on the shoulder before beginning to clean the dishes.

Jason picked out his own blankets and pillow and settled close to his friends. He quickly drifted to sleep as the events of the day finally engulfed his tired body and he gave up fighting his body’s wishes of sleep.

At some point in the night, Jason woke up to the sound of hushed voices. The fire was dying out but it still provided enough light so that he could see Marc talking to one of his men.

  
“You be careful out there, okay?” Jason couldn't see the other man’s face as Marc embraced the man gently, cupping the back of his head to kiss the other man.

  
“I always come back, hermano. Don‘t you worry about me, I‘ll be just fine.”

The man turned away from Marc, checking his ammo before shouldering an assault rifle. Jason could barely see the outline of the man in the dark but he had heard the man’s accented voice. He would never forget that voice. His blood ran cold. There was no doubt about it.

  
It was Vaas Montenegro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now it begins :)


	4. Chapter 4

Jason was unable to go back to sleep.

He laid on his side, blanket partly covering his head even after he had heard the door click softly and the room fell silent again.

His mind tried to keep up with his emotions as Jason thought back to the day he had killed Vaas. Now that he thought about it, he never had any physical proof that the pirate was dead, only his drug-addled memories.  
And now, Vaas was after him- no, that didn't make sense. Jason had not seen the man in more than two years, surely Vaas wouldn't follow him back to California.

  
No, Jason was certain that this was a coincidence. Yet Vaas had mentioned a few times that fate had brought them together. They were destined to either both die together or they both lived. At the moment, they were both alive but Vaas had left at night. He could be attacked by infected or anyone out there.

  
Yes, Jason thought, he will die tonight and this will be dealt with without involving me or my friends.

His friends. He had almost forgotten that they slept beside him. They would die of terror if Vaas came back. Jason hadn’t paid attention to their reactions when his name was spoken over dinner, but he was sure they had panicked.

 

Eventually, the dark thoughts overtook his tired mind and he dreamt of his first kill. The man dying beneath him, blood pooling from the wound . Back then, Jason had nearly thrown up at the sight, but in his dream, he wasn't weak or fragile anymore, he was a warrior. The scene changed to a tiger enclosure and how Jason had freed them to get rid of a few patrolling men. Letting the wild beasts run around the camp, mauling and tearing into each pirate that had been foolish enough to come near it. The few left alive were shot indignantly.

The scene changed again. It was the drop off zone where Ollie was being taken. In his dream, Jason heard the sound of a branch snapping.

He turned and Vaas was walking towards him. The pirate dropped to the ground, lying on his chest like Jason with his elbows propping him up, beside him. Vaas’ shoulder brushed against his own. Jason didn't push him away or yell at him, instead he resumed looking through the scope mounted on his stolen rifle. Jason was lying on the edge of a cliff, watching a helicopter land as cars drove down a road. This was Ollie’s escape. Except, Ollie never showed up, it was just a cargo exchange between the pirates and privateers.  
Vaas laughed beside him, turning his head to face Jason. Jason wanted to kill the man, he wanted to beat Vaas unconscious and torture him until he begged for death just like he had done with Jason. Instead, he leaned closer to Vaas, pressing his lips gently against his. Vaas hummed softly a- Jason woke up, sitting up in his make-shift bed.

 

“Hey, Jason, you okay?” Ben was crouching near him, hand drawn back as though he had attempted to rouse Jason.

Jason nodded and blinked several times, adjusting to the permanent darkness of the basement. His shirt clinged to his skin uncomfortably and the blankets suffocated him. Jason could feel his erection pressing against the fabric of his jeans but he chose to ignore it, hoping no one would notice.

Looking around, he could see his friends gathered for breakfast.

  
Without warning, Jason stood up making Ben stumble slightly. The small man jumped up to follow him and sat himself down on the beaten up leather couch. Jason took his place on the oil drum next to Marc.

  
Said man was currently wringing his hands and looking up at the door, as though willing it to open.

  
“You okay, Marc?” Jason asked, not looking too often at him as he ate a bowl of cereal.

He didn't know where they got the milk from, but it seemed safe enough to drink.

  
“Vaas should’ve been back by now.” Marc’s voice trembled slightly and he began to whisper a small prayer. Max patted the disheartened man’s back, pulling him against his side in an attempt to comfort him.

  
“Look, he’s just running a bit late. He could have taken a detour.” Marc sighed heavily before sitting up straight and getting himself breakfast as well.

  
“I know, I know. I'm just worried about him.”

Jason tried not to let his emotions show through. There was still a chance that Vaas had been captured by the truckers or killed by infected. Internally he was beaming with joy but he remained passive on the outside. He glanced to his friends and saw each had their heads down, unwilling to make any sorts of eye contact. They were pitiful at best, he thought.

 

After they ate, Janos and Carlos took Jason out on patrol. He was overjoyed when they handed him a fully loaded sniper rifle, very similar to the ones Jason had bought from the village store in Badtown.

  
The trio took their places on separate roofs. Jason was on top of the building opposite their campsite. He had a perfect view of the street and a meter-high safety ledge to hide behind. For several hours, they stood watch, occasionally shooting down a few infected.  
Ben and Max brought them lunch and they eventually came back inside as the sun began to fall behind the skyscrapers in the distance.

 

Marc looked up expectantly at the door as Jason walked in first, leaning his rifle against the oil drum before sitting. Jason smiled at him and Marc returned it weakly, his smile wavering as though he was holding back tears.

  
“No news from Vaas, then?” He asked, politely.

  
“Nothing. He’s not answering his radio. Fuck! Where is he?!” Marc slumped and Jason swore he could hear him making small, sniffing sounds.

Jason was beginning to dislike Marc. He seemed to think that Vaas was fragile. The fucker refused to die. That itself should have reassured Jason, instead it made him worry.

  
“Hey, you guys hungry? I bet patrolling ain't fun.” Paul smiled knowingly as he reached for a set of clean plates and bottles of lukewarm beer.

Jason grimaced at the less than refreshing taste as a few of the men laughed.

  
“It’s all we've got, man, sorry.”

Jason smirked and took the filled plate offered to him. He noticed his friends had stayed in the sleeping area, their backs turned to Jason.

  
“They been any problem to you?” Jason asked, gesturing to his friends.

  
“Nah, not at all. The blonde one-"

  
“Daisy.”

  
“Yeah, her. She’s been taking care of your other mates and helping us out with cleaning up this dump.”

  
“Good to know. So how long have you guys been here?”

  
“Uh well, lets see. The virus happened a year ago so, about 10 months, I think. At least for me. Most of the guys here just joined us over time.”

Jason nodded and kept silent as Paul continued.

  
“I came here with Vaas, Carlos, Max and Ben. We were struggling like you until we found this place so we cleared it out of infected and we've been down here ever since. You know, this place used to be constantly checked by those truckers. After we got hold of some ammo, the rats ran away and they haven‘t bothered us for months.”

  
“How do you guys find food? It’s perfectly fresh.” 

  
“We've got a little secret. You see, everyone tells you that the shops are empty and no one uses them anymore but that’s not true. There’s tons of food constantly being made and stocked in certain supermarkets for the quarantined areas. So we sneak in at night and take what we can carry. If they don’t restock, we go to other areas that are abandoned and pick out the preserved goods. There’s a whole mall on the east side of town, not far from here, that’s filled to the brim with food, clothes, medical supplies and even a gun shop.”

  
“Don’t we need to go there soon?” Ben asked, sipping the remains of his beer.

  
“Yeah, we do actually. D’you wanna come with us?”

  
Jason looked up, meeting Ben and Paul’s excited faces. He nodded, smiling. This way he could find supplies and ammo and move on from this group, preferably alone this time. Jason knew that he couldn't carry on supporting the other three. They weighed him down like the concrete blocks tied to him when Vaas had tried to drwon him.  
His friends would be safe with this bunch, that is, unless Vaas returned.

 

As they bid each other goodnight, Marc began to load his rifle and move towards the door. Ben looked up and reached to grab the man’s shoulder.

  
“Where are you going?” Marc refused to look at him.

  
“I need to find him. He could be hurt.”

  
“You don’t know where he is.”

  
“That’s why I need to go find him.”

  
“Listen to yourself. If you go out there, you could die and never find him," Jason spoke up, moving to stand in front of Marc as a way to block his path. Marc sighed but remained where he was. If Jason could delay him a bit longer…

The door pushed open, creaking slightly under the weight of a body. Everyone awake turned to face the man entering. Jason held his breath as the man stumbled inside.

  
Marc roughly pushed past him to get to the other whilst Ben rushed to close the door.  
Jason noticed the blood dripping freely from his right arm that pooled slowly on the ground.

  
“Vaas! Vaas, what happened?”

Marc rushed to sit him on the couch. He helped him out of his coat and unravelled the scarf tightly wrapped around his neck, carefully manoeuvring around the wound. As the hood of the coat was removed, Jason slowly let out his breath as he saw the dishevelled mohawk and the scar that ran the length of Vaas’ head.

  
“Those fuckers in the truck made me go ’round the whole fucking city. Had to hide by the fucking train station to get rid of ’em. ’Sup, Jason?” Vaas nodded at him, smirking.

Jason held still, breathing slowly, trying to calm his nerves.

  
“You know him?” Ben asked, carrying a first aid kit and dropping to his knees beside Vaas.

  
“Yeah, sure, he and I go way back. Don’t we, Jas?” Marc gave Jason a puzzled look, as though asking ’why didn’t you tell me?’.

Jason shrugged and sat on the oil drum, staring at the blood soaking Vaas’ sleeve.

“You’re gonna have to take this off.” Vaas managed to remove the long sleeve shirt, wincing as he tensed his injured arm. It was a bullet wound. Jason heard the collective relived sigh of the others.

  
“What? You were worried I got bitten or some shit?” He scoffed, letting Ben remove the lodged bullet and clean off the blood. Vaas didn’t make any noise as Ben stitched his skin back together with a precision that reminded Jason of a surgeon.

Jason glanced at Vaas’ torso, it was heavily scarred with a few large diagonal lines near his heart where Jason had stabbed him. They had healed nicely and the scars were thin and long. Jason remembers the carved handle of the knife and its delicate pattern.

  
“See something you like, hermano?”

  
Jason glared at him, his fist clenching and relaxing by his side. Vaas noticed and a playful grin appear on his features.

  
“All done. I’m glad you’re okay. Marc was about to go find you.” Vaas looked up at Marc, who was still standing protectively near him.

  
“You’re a fucking dumbass. I told you I’d come back.” Vaas smiled but it didn't seem genuine. It made him look younger and less like the crazy psycho Jason had dealt with, but Jason could tell it was faked.

  
“You’ve been gone nearly 24 hours. I thought you were dead. Or worse.”

Marc sat next to him, pressing his lips softly against Vaas’ cheek briefly. Vaas didn’t look pleased and Jason almost thought he would start getting angry but instead Vaas pulled Marc into a passionate kiss that had the others looking away.

  
“Give me a proper fucking kiss next time. Plus I ain't made of glass, Marc. I’ve survived this long. Gimme some fucking credit, at least.”

Marc bowed his head, laughing breathlessly, before locking eyes with Vaas.  
“I shouldn’t doubt you, I know that, but… I just don’t want to lose you. You understand, right?”

 

Jason wanted to hear more but Ben tapped his shoulder, signalling him to give them some space. As he wrapped the blankets around him, he heard Vaas and Marc laughing.

His friends had not moved at all but they now knew that Vaas was still alive and sharing the same space as them. Jason could here Liza weeping softly, Daisy trying to quieten her through comforting words.

  
“We’ll be fine. Jason is with us.”

Jason remembered his plan of abandoning them with this group, but now that Vaas was alive and still kicking, he couldn't just leave them near him. They would have to split up at some other opportunity that would keep them relatively safe.

  
Jason reluctantly gave in to his body’s needs and drifted off into a dream filled world in which he had no control or say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be smutty ;)


	5. Chapter 5

Jason stood beneath a waterfall, the dirt from the day washing away as his mind felt at peace for the first time in weeks.

Behind him was a small, man-made cave where Jason slept the night, his clothes and weapons thrown about the floor. Except he wasn't alone. Vaas had crept in during the night and settled himself among the fur blankets, and wrapped one arm around Jason’s waist, pulling him against his warm, naked chest. Now Vaas was waking up, yawning and stretching his arms above his head.

  
“Want some company?” He asked, tilting his head like a cat, voice laced with a desire that had shivers running down Jason‘s spine. Jason looked over his shoulder and nodded, mirroring Vaas’ smirk.

  
The pirate stood, undressing himself as he stalked towards Jason in a manner that reminded him of a wild tiger. He wrapped his arms loosely around Jason’s waist, placing a soft kiss on his shoulder. The cold water was licked away as Vaas’ tongue moved teasingly slow up his neck. Jason moaned softly, leaning back into the shorter man’s chest.

He felt teeth brush against his ear before yelping at a sudden bite. Vaas swiped his tongue against the same point and kissed his way back down Jason’s neck, sucking hard on his pulse point to leave dark marks on his pale skin.

  
As Jason began to moan louder and more freely, he felt a hand move gently down his hip to grasp at his hardening cock.

  
“Don’t…don’t stop, please Vaas…” Jason moaned as the hand began to pump him faster, teasing the sensitive head of his cock whilst the other hand held his hips, squeezing tightly enough to stop Jason from thrusting up into Vaas‘ hand.

  
“Keep moaning like that, Jas. I want the whole world to know you belong to me.”

  
Jason came hard, shouting Vaas' name over and over again like a mantra until he could no longer control his own body. His cum splattered over Vaas’ still moving hand, slowly being washed away by the water.

Jason slumped against his partner, unable to stand steadily any longer. Vaas held him up with little effort, turning Jason’s face towards his own to kiss him gently, pressing his tongue against Jason’s parted lips. Jason licked Vaas’ tongue in response, moving his lips slowly against the other’s as he was carried back into the cave to lie on the blankets.

 

Jason woke to the sound clattering metal and loud laughing. His dream left him blushing madly, raging hard and angry with himself. How could he even think of that? Sure he had gotten used to seeing Vaas in his dreams but never so realistically. Never so… filthy and depraved.

  
Jason clamped his hand over his clothed erection to try to ease it. Eventually he softened and got up. Noticing the group had gathered by the fire, Jason walked towards them, smiling at Marc when he took his meal. It was some sort of curry this time and it tasted just as bad as it looked. The spices choked him slightly.

“Hey, Jason! Wanna go shopping with me and Vaas? We’re running out of food and we could use the help,” Marc offered, sitting with his elbows resting on his knees.

Vaas stood next to him, constantly smirking and watching Jason with predatory eyes as though he could see Jason’s memories of the dream.

  
"Thought it was our turn!" Ben argued.

  
"You did it last time, remember?" Marc replied, earning him a pout. "So, Jason?"

  
“Yeah, okay. Might as well be useful around here.”

They finished their breakfast and soon after, the trio were armed with rifles and leaving the safety of the basement.

  
Jason had been given a backpack with a water bottle, ammo, energy bars and an old gas mask.

  
“You’ll need it sooner or later.” Marc had shrugged at Jason’s puzzlement.

 

 

It took them an hour to cross the city through buildings and underground passages beneath the maze of skyscrapers until they reached a locked door inside a theatre. The darkness of the main hall concealed the seats and stage.

Marc pulled out a key, and opened the heavy door revealing a gloomy staircase.

  
Water dripped from rusted pipes running along the walls of the flooded corridor. The smell of stagnant water and rot made Jason gag.

  
The three took out their gas masks and Vaas moved behind Jason to turn on the filter. Jason nodded his thanks and walked in a line behind Marc with Vaas at the rear, gun loaded and pointed in front of him.

The water splashed around them as it came up to their knees. They walked through an open doorway leading into a tiled room lined with blue lockers.

Suddenly, Marc held up a hand making the others stop in their tracks. He gestured to a group of infected crowded around a dead body. Jason felt Vaas turn around to face the corridor, aiming his gun.

  
Marc fired three shots, each hitting the infected in their heads. The two remaining creatures turned and were shot in the chest and head by Jason. Marc turned to wink at him and Vaas nudged him gently with his elbow, grinning at Jason.

  
Jason’s eyes widened and his face paled as he noticed a very large infected silently approaching Vaas. It was covered in large mushrooms that oozes a green substance. Raising his gun, he yelled at Vaas to turn around. He fired into the creature’s head once; it fell to its knees and crawled towards them on all fours. He fired again; it fell to the ground with a loud thud.

  
Vaas turned to Jason, blinking repeatedly. He said nothing but nodded firmly once at Jason, who returned it, and walked past into another hallway. They followed him, guns at the ready should anymore infected show up.

Vaas led them through the maze of badly lit corridors, occasionally putting down certain creatures including an abnormally large rat whose head exploded as the bullet struck it.

 

Eventually they came to the main entrance of the mall. It had a large staircase by the far wall that led to the first and second floors. The ceiling was made of glass, now shattered in places and covered in mould and moss. The sun shone through illuminating the pond in the centre of the floor.

  
A large, sculpted statue of some Greek man stood undisturbed in the stagnant water. His stern scowl forever destroyed by a large chunk of stone missing from his face.

  
Jason observed the statue as Marc checked the front doors’ locked chains. Vaas went to stand beside Jason, rifle shouldered casually like he had no care in the world.

  
“Thanks, hermano.”

Vaas refused to look at Jason as he spoke, preferring to gaze at the statue as well.

  
“I did that. Didn't like the way it looked at me.” Vaas chuckled darkly, turning his head to look at Jason. “I hope I don’t have to do the same to you. I’m still pissed that you left me.”

  
“I didn’t leave you. I escaped your fucking island to save my friends and keep living.” Jason violently turned to him, thrusting an accusing finger in Vaas’ face.“Tell me the truth. Why are you here?”

Vaas groaned, looking at Marc for help only to find the latter engrossed in securing the area.

  
“Vaas," Jason growled.

  
“Fine. Fine! I came here for some business that Hoyt couldn't deal with. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, amigo.”

  
“I don’t believe you.”

  
“Oh yeh? Ask my men. They’ll tell you.”

  
“You sure they’re still your men? After all, they’re barely surviving and I’m sure they won’t take orders from you now that you've lost your touch.” Jason smirked.

  
“Lost my touch? What the fuck does that even mean?” Vaas tensed visibly, his fists balled up so tightly that his knuckles paled slightly.

  
“You can’t shoot rejects anymore and you’re no longer the terrifying tyrant like before. Oh, and you're letting yourself get all cuddly with another guy... a guy who's scared you'll disappear around a corner and never come back.” Jason’s voice was low and cold.

He loved having power over the smaller man and even if it meant his death, he would keep tormenting Vaas until he broke.

  
“Fuck you, hermano. Fuck you!”

  
With that, Vaas walked towards the line of shops lining the wall, ignoring Jason’s smirking face and Marc’s puzzled look.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a short chapter but warning of feels.... :)

The mall was still stocked with more than enough supplies. Marc had informed Jason that the truckers had barred the entrances apart from the one they came through, in order to keep it for themselves. After their little uprising, the mall was now theirs. Every once in a while, they needed food and ammo. This place was now theirs only and they finally had the means to defend themselves.

Vaas had now disappeared and Jason couldn't care less. The man was unbelievable. One minute he was yelling at Jason and the next, he had walked away. Maybe Jason had pushed him too far and he was now starting to regret saying such things. No, this was just Jason's emotions getting the better of him. Vaas deserved it.

 

The pirate wandered the aisles of a clothing store, thinking over Jason’s words. Yes, Vaas had deserved it after the way he treated Jason on Rook. Not that Jason was treated any differently from the other rejects, aside from Jason‘s incapability to die that is.

Though after a while, Jason started to mean more to him. Vaas looked forward to their encounters, even his near-death. But he had lost everything compared to Jason.

Vaas couldn't go back to Rook and he had lost his men. Sure a handful still remained but they were not loyal. Hoyt had taught him never to trust someone whose loyalty had a price. Vaas couldn't trust any one them. Perhaps Ben or Max but only because they were from Rook and knew who he was. Even they would kill him if they wanted. Not like he cared much these days. The infected that nearly got him made him realise that he could die any second. Rook was different, it was dangerous but Vaas had control over it more or less.

 

As his hand trailed over a partly quilted leather jacket, he thought of Jason and how happy he had been to see him. Sure, Vaas wanted to beat the shit out of him but he had missed the Californian boy.

After Jason escaped, Vaas’ life went back to its boring ways and no one else bothered to challenge him or try to take his outposts hostage. He shot the animals needed for furs or meat and made sure the rejects were sorted from the useful slaves. The dull rhythm came back and Vaas turned back to his excessive drug use and collapsing each night drunk on his bed. He'd even begun to ignore Hoyt.

  
Vaas missed Rook. He wanted to sit with his men around a fire getting high and laughing. Most of them were terrified of him, and they should be. But a few had been with him from the start or had joined his group over the years, and those men were almost friends to Vaas. Like the young guy named Jake who had come from the Rakyat as well, changing his name once he escaped the tribe. Vaas had known him as the weapon maker’s kid.

 

But what Vaas missed most was his home. It was a large cabin with a decent size living room and almost unused furniture. Hoyt had hired some builders to make sure the house wouldn't collapse in on itself like most of the camp‘s buildings.

The house walls were decorated with hunting trophies and tribal paintings done by Vaas and Hoyt on a spring morning after the house had been finished.

  
Hoyt’s work was atrocious, to say the least, until Vaas had stopped him by giving the other a cooled beer and telling him to ‘piss off before his wall needed replacing‘. After being admired for over several hours, Vaas took him to the small bay close to the cabin and swam a bit, eventually convincing the other man to join him.

  
They lazed on the beach until the sun began to fall behind the blue tinged mountains.

Hoyt had brought him home and Vaas had let the older man wrap an arm around hiswaist, pulling him back against Hoyt’s chest.  
Vaas can’t remember much of the rest of the night but he knew he had kept Hoyt awake most of night with his nightmares about Citra.

That had been the first night that Hoyt had actually stayed until morning without fucking Vaas senseless the night before and leaving before dawn. And it had been the first time that Hoyt had gotten close to his heart.

Vaas had been nineteen.

It was a year after they had first met. After that day, Hoyt visited weekly, then monthly after a few years and now Vaas barely spoke to him, only to discuss new tactics against the Rakyat or trading issues.

 

Now none of that mattered. Vaas was alone. He was thousands of miles away from home and there was no way to get back. The airports were closed for months and highly infested.

He had Jason now though, even if it was useless to try and get any affection from the man.

  
“Vaas. You shouldn’t go off on your own. I don’t want to find your corpse around the next corner,” Marc gently spoke to him, gently squeezing his uninjured arm. “Everything okay?"

Vaas looked around him. He was sitting with his back to a clothes rack, tears falling freely down his cheeks. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, sniffing once, before beaming brightly at Marc.

  
“Couldn't be better.”

Vaas jumped to his feet, carefully taking the leather jacket from the hanger, checking its size, before folding it neatly into his rucksack.

  
Hoyt would've loved this jacket, Vaas thought. The first time he had met the older man, Hoyt had been wearing one similar to the jacket Vaas had taken. He smiled, looking down at the floor, ignoring Marc’s confusion before jogging out of the shop and into another.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little bit more light hearted fluff.

A few hours into their trip, they had gathered most of the required food and medical supplies. Jason had found clothes that fit him to replace the torn jeans and muddy t-shirt.

When he was done changing, Vaas wolf-whistled at him before walking away.  
Jason hadn’t apologized for his outburst yet but the tension between the two seemed to have disappeared. If anything, Vaas had become more hyper and constantly made noise, swearing at everything in his way and laughing as he shot a pigeon perched on the broken glass ceiling.

Marc constantly checked their surroundings, keeping a worried eye on Vaas as he wandered aimlessly around the ground floor. The pirate had recently come out of a random shop with Marc. Jason noticed the tell-tale redness of his eyes but ignored it. Surely his words hadn't hurt Vaas that much?

The escalator was broken and Jason thought back to the many YouTube videos of idiots trapped on them for hours. Laughing to himself, he reached the first floor followed by the two men.

They stopped at a shop with metal bars across the windows and a door that had been ripped out of its hinges and leant against the frame again. Jason couldn't see past the dirty windows. In the meantime, Marc and Vaas had lifted the heavy door to the side before Vaas gestured for Jason to go first.  
He did, warily squinting into the darkness, gun raised. Someone flicked on their torch.

Jason could see weapons lining every single wall. The wall opposite the door was dedicated to assault rifles and handguns, another wall was covered in tactical knives and bullet-proof vests. Rows of ammunitions of all sizes were placed on tables in the middle of the room. By the far right wall was the cash register propped up on a display case which held ancient knives and revolvers.

“We found this place by accident. We thought it was empty at first since the truckers stayed here but yeah, there‘s quite a bit left. Didn't you ever wondered where all the ammo came from?” Marc asked, smiling at Jason who stood in shock before shaking himself and moving to admire the bow above the display case. He stepped around it, carefully taking the weapon down and gingerly brushing his fingers over the cool metal.

  
“I never really thought about it,” Jason admitted, thinking back to the large crates piled up against the basement wall. He mentally slapped himself for never asking.

  
“Take whatever you like, hermano, no charge," Vaas spoke out from his spot near the ammo. He was carefully checking each box, occasional stuffing some his backpack.

Jason found arrows and a quiver easily enough, and he aimed one at a bird hopping near the statue. He drew the arrow back, letting it come close to his ear before releasing it. The bird dropped silently to the ground mid-hop. Jason grinned. He had missed his bow and this one was perfect.

  
As he paced the large room, attention-focused on each gun he passed, Jason noticed a door blocked by some cardboard boxes. He moved them carefully to the side, inspecting the steel door that had begun to rust slightly.

  
“Hey, Vaas! What’s through here?” Vaas joined him and shrugged.

  
“Never found out, Snow. Guess we've gotta check it out, eh?” Vaas pulled the handle down, shoulder pressed against the door. “Cover me.”

With a hard shove, the door creaked open moving slowly. Jason had his gun raised but no infected came through. He switched the light on to find a concrete staircase that must have led to the store room.

  
“I’m going in, you coming?” By then, Marc had joined them and kept checking the staircase and the shop entrance, rifle held ready.

Vaas headed down first, missing several steps to reach the bottom first. Jason sighed and followed him through a long corridor to another door that was unlocked, his gun ready to protect them as Vaas pushed it open easily.

Nothing came out of the pitch black darkness and Jason fumbled to turn on his torch to help him, eventually spreading out across what appeared to be the mall garage.

  
Many cars were still parked, some damaged and one in covered dried blood. Both men slowly stepped into the garage, Vaas checking the condition of those closest to him. Jason saw the entrance of the garage was barred by large metal panels. That explains why no one could get to it, he thought.

  
“Fucking hell… we need to get these running," Vaas mumbled, wiping a dirty Jeep window with his sleeve.

  
“No shit, Sherlock. How’re we gonna get them out? Entrance is blocked.” Jason growled at Vaas, pointing to the mess in front of them. At that moment, Marc came running down the corridor.

  
“You guys ok? I thought something might have happened….” 

  
“Marc, look at all this! We can finally leave!” Vaas exclaimed.

  
“That’s uh… that’s good to hear.” Marc shifted on his feet. “Look, we should get back soon.”

  
“No way, we can’t just fucking leave this down here! Those shitheads might come back and get them!”

  
“Vaas, these have been here for months… no one’s gonna take them now.” Vaas turned to Jason, mouth agape and gesturing angrily at Marc.

  
“Marc’s right. Plus we can’t get these out yet.” Jason shrugged, walking back towards the door followed by Marc.

  
Vaas remained in his spot, unmoving.

  
“We need to at least move one.” But no one bothered to pay attention to him.

 

The walk back to the hideout was awkward at best. Vaas was no longer excited and barely spoke a word or made any noise that Jason almost forgot he was there. Jason chatted with Marc hoping to further ignore the pirate lord.  
They were happily greeted by the others. Even Daisy came towards him for a short hug. He grinned and showed off what they had stolen.

  
Vaas left again without a word, ignoring Ben’s calls.  
Jason turned back to the hyper group, retelling how he had shot infected and discovered the garage under the mall. It seemed to capture everyone’s attention and they spent an hour discussing the best ways to move the cars.

  
“The infected will definitely hear the engines so all of us will have to be ready when they come. Let’s see, there’s 14 of us so we’ll need 4 cars at the least. Maybe more.” Jason spoke up, proceeding to describe the state of the vehicles.

  
“Hopefully there will be plenty of petrol in them… we’re fucking screwed if there’s none left.” Ben joined in.

  
“Where we gonna go? Even if we get outta this hell, we've got no where to go!”

  
“Some place out the city.” Marc answered. “Jason. You and your friends are welcome to join us but feel free to leave at any point.”

  
Jason nodded his thanks.

  
“Where’s Vaas by the way?”

  
“Uh he’s probably at the pool.“ Ben shrugged.

  
“The pool?”

  
“Yeah, there’s a really nice, posh place close to here, got hot water and everythin’. You can have a wash there if you like.” A shower sounded like heaven now that Jason thought about it.

  
“Can you show me the way?”

  
“Gabriel can, he knows it better than me.”

  
The man in question stood up, a head taller than Jason, and silently motioned for him to move. Bringing his rifle, Jason left the basement and headed in the opposite direction of the mall.

 

It turned out that the pool was a very short distance from the basement. The entrance was blocked by wooden plank boards painted with dried blood with a rotting infected corpse slumped against the small stone stairs leading to the door. Gabriel led him to a fire door along the left wall and held it open for him. The stench of chlorine made Jason nauseous and he fought not to gag.

  
“No infected ever comes in here. You’re safe. Do you want me to stay?”

  
“No. Thanks for your help. I’ll find my way back.”

  
Jason made his way through the reception, littered with up turned tables. He walked into the men’s locker room finding no sign of Vaas. Jason heard nothing except the water lapping at the edges of the ceramic pool. He came into the pool room, immediately blinking at the dimness in the stifling heat. He didn't bother to question where the electricity came from.

  
The only light came from the blue bulbs built into the sides of the pool. A dark figure glided gracefully under the surface of the water capturing Jason’s attention. Vaas could hold his breath for a long time, only coming up once as he reached the shallow end on Jason’s left. Vaas’ clothes were scattered near the wall along with his rifle and rucksack.

  
Jason walked to Vaas, sitting on a dry spot facing the pirate. He noticed the other was only side glancing at Jason.

  
“Why are you here?” Vaas spoke in a deep tone, finally glaring at Jason fully.

  
“I dunno.”

  
“You came all the way out here cuz you ‘dunno’? Fuck that, hermano! Why the fuck are you here? You wanna mess with me? Cuz I’m pissed enough to gut you right now.”

  
“What you said was right. Back on Rook. That we’re survivors. Hunt or get hunted. It took me a while to get it.”

  
“You finally got it into your thick skull! What did I tell you, uh? We’re the same you and me.” Vaas smirked, ignoring the last part of Jason's comment.

  
“No. We’re similar but we’re not the same. Look, can you be serious for one minute?”

  
Vaas nodded, grinning madly, but remained silent so Jason could speak.

  
“I wanna go back to Rook.” The grin disappeared. “I’m guessing that’s what you plan on doing, so I want in.”

  
“Why? You fucking ruined my life and you fucking expect me to let you stroll back onto my island and fuck shit up again? No way, hermano! No fucking way!”

  
“That’s not what I plan to do. Look, I promise I won’t fight you and personally, I don’t give two shits what the Rakyat are doing. I’m done dealing with them. They get in my way, they’re dead.”

Vaas seemed satisfied but he kept eyeing the rifle behind Jason.

  
“So what? You just wanna chill in some shack and live out your days hunting?”

  
“Sounds good to me.” Jason shrugged. He hadn’t really thought about returning but today have made him question everything. Jason knew he couldn't stay here and fight infected each day. His friends were useless and his mind would never stop telling him to go back to Rook.

  
“Okay. Okay, fine. Whatever the fuck you want, amigo! But if you fuck with me or start tearing shit up again, I’m putting you down permanently. Got it?” Jason nodded, already losing himself in his thoughts of returning to the islands.

Jason heard the water splashing and felt lukewarm water wash over him. He turned to Vaas who grinned madly.

  
“You gonna swim a little or not? It’s good for the health.” Jason snorted, remembering all the weed Vaas smoked.

  
“Like you know what healthy means. Fine, I’ll join.”

  
Jason stripped out his clothes, leaving his boxers on. He sat on the edge, letting his legs dangle lazily in the water. It wasn't as cold as he had imagined.

  
“Take those off, you idiot.”

  
“What?” Jason stared, realising Vaas was still waiting for him. He looked down, understanding what Vaas had meant.

  
“Don’t be such a fucking pussy.”

  
“Right.” Jason took his boxers off, attempting to hide himself but Vaas wasn't looking at him, preferring to submerge himself for a few seconds before coming back up.

  
“I’ll race you to the other side.” Vaas smirked as Jason finally climbed down into the water. He had braced himself against the edge ready to push off. Jason copied him.

  
“3,2,1!” Vaas laughed, moving under the surface faster than Jason. He reached the opposite edge within a few second. Jason eventually reaching him.

  
“You’re too fucking slow, hermano.”

  
“Yeah well, I wasn't raised on a fucking island.” They both laughed and swam back to the other side lazily before relaxing in the shallow end.

  
“You know what would make my day even better?”

  
“What?”

  
“Some really fucking good weed.” Vaas laughed, splashing water on Jason’s face as he rested against the edge, water reaching his neck.

  
“I take it there’s none left?” Vaas stood up in the water to grab and rummage through his rucksack. He pulled out a small plastic bag with crushed leaves inside and cigarette paper. Jason stared at him, dumbfounded.

  
“Heh, you want some?” Jason nodded.

  
“Where did you…”

  
“Stole it from some idiots a while back. Been reserving some for a really good day. And since we've got cars now, that makes today a pretty good fucking day!” He rolled up the joints, handing one to Jason before finding a lighter in his bag. He lit them both and Vaas slumped back into the water, sighing.

  
“That’s some weak shit, fuck!”

  
“Fine for me…”

  
“You haven’t developed a keen taste yet, hermano.” Vaas took a long drag.

  
“That’s cuz I’m not a druggie.”  
“Ha ha! _Fuck_ you, hermano!”

  
Jason could feel himself beginning to relax despite the madman’s random laughter interrupting his peace.

  
“So, you come here often?”

  
“Tryna chat me up?” Vaas smirked as Jason scowled, facing away from the pirate. “Ok, ok, yeah. I found this place by accident like most places actually… now that I think about it…”

  
“Vaas!”

  
“Oh, right, yeah. Well it’s quiet, I can swim again and the infected can’t get in. They fucking hate chlorine, you see. Makes them ill or some shit, I dunno.”

  
“Good to hear.”

  
Vaas turned to face Jason fully, joint hanging loosely between his fingers. His eyes had blown wide and Jason knew his probably looked exactly the same.

  
“Why did you come and find me?” Jason sighed, staring at the far wall decorated in safety posters and a crate full of beach balls.

Jason placed the joint on a dry tile before pushing himself from the ledge. He swam the distance to the other side. He heaved himself up, walking to the crate and picking out a large, inflated red ball. Jason threw it as hard as he could, landing it close to Vaas, who simply smirked at him.

  
He backed up against the wall. Running to the edge of the pool, he dived into the deep end and glided fast, his belly almost touching the floor tiles. He came back up close to Vaas who had now abandoned his weed and threw the ball directly at Jason’s head.

  
“You didn’t answer my fucking question, amigo!”

  
“That’s because I don’t have an answer. _Amigo.”_

  
“Oi! Watch it!”

The ball was thrown back at Vaas. He caught it easily, both arms raised above his head. Jason took the chance to tackle the man. Vaas immediately dropped it, grabbing Jason’s shoulders to push him away. Jason moved, laughing at Vaas, who’s joint had been soaked and therefore ruined.

  
“The fuck was that for?”

  
“Dunno, just felt like it. You’re not as fast as you think.”

  
“That’s cause you took me by surprise, you cunt.”

  
“Expect the unexpected.”

  
“Oh yeah?” Vaas pounced on Jason, holding his head under the water effortlessly. He let Jason come up for air as he backed away.  
“Bet you weren't expecting that, snow white.”

Jason growled and smirked as he threw the ball at Vaas, missing him as Vaas ducked under the water.

  
Vaas resurfaced, holding his hands up as surrender. Jason smirked and leaned back against the edge of the pool again. He picked up his, thankfully, dry weed, taking long drags from it as Vaas sat down next to him so close that their shoulders bumped.

  
“We should be getting back. As much as I fucking love this place, we need to get back before night fall.”

  
“Yeah, we’re a bit late," Jason said sarcastically. He gestured at the large clock on the right wall. 11:57pm.

  
“Right. Come on, motherfucker, let’s go.” Vaas stood and climbed onto the tiles, grabbing his stuff and walking away towards the locker rooms. Jason followed him, trying not to glance at Vaas’ toned body.

They walked in silence until Vaas dropped his stuff on a bench, reaching to find a dry towel for each of them.

  
“You can stop staring, ya know.”

  
“What?”

  
“Don’t be an idiot. I can see you gawking. Got eyes in the back of my fucking head.” Vaas gestured to himself, smirking.

  
“I’m not gawking.”

  
“Sure, and I’m not a fucking pirate king." Jason was about to retort but Vaas’ glare kept him silent. He nodded once.

The pirate turned his back to him, drying himself. A faded tatau covered most of Vaas’ back. The ink had turned a shade of brown darker than his skin.

  
It depicted two large tigers on either side, their heads turned towards each other along his shoulder blades. The tigers were baring their fangs and their tails were entwined at the base of his spine. They were surrounded by tribal markings and various flowers. Both tigers were identical, even their stripes.

  
“That’s very beautiful.”

  
“Glad ya like it. Better than yours. I see it hasn't faded that much. Never leaves you. These fucking markings will follow you into the afterlife.”

  
“It’s still beautiful. It suits you.”

  
“Fan-fucking-tastic.”

Jason scoffed as Vaas turned away from him again. The pirate dressed himself, only wearing his cargo trousers and a plain grey t-shirt.

  
“Not your usual style.”

  
“How the fuck would you know my style?” Jason rolled his eyes and Vaas grinned, happy to mess with Snow again. “Hurry up, we need to get back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now the plot really begins.


	8. Chapter 8

The basement was silent when Vaas and Jason came back, except from murmurs.

Jason closed the door carefully. It clicked softly and he walked quietly towards the small group. Marc had turned to face them, a frown on his face. His rifle rested in his lap and a bag beside the oil drum that served as Marc’s seat whilst Ben and Max occupied the small, thread-bare couch. He glared at Vaas who ignored him and went straight to his makeshift bed and began to wrap a blanket around him.

  
“Do you have any clue how long you've been gone?” Marc growled at Vaas’ back. When he refused to reply, Jason sat next to Marc.

  
Jason was too tired to bother himself with this. He cleared his throat, attempting to distract Marc from glaring at Vaas.

  
“Get some rest Marc. We’re both fine.”

Marc grunted but left the group to reach his bed closer to Vaas than Jason wanted. Vaas didn’t make a noise but he visibly tensed when Marc settled beside him. In the badly-lit room, he could make out the outline of Marc’s arm wrapping around Vaas.

  
“Get the fuck off me," Vaas whispered, shrugging his arm away.

  
“You don’t have to be like this. Don’t push me away, Vaas. I love you.”

Vaas immediately sat up and stood, un-wrapping the blanket and tucked it under his arm along with his pillow.

  
“Never say that to me again!" Vaas yelled, pointing harshly in Marc’s worried face. He stood and strode to an empty corner of the room away from everyone. He sparsely glanced at Jason but turned his back to him facing the wall, head disappearing under the thick blanket.

 

The next morning, Jason joined the others for a breakfast consisting of fried beef. His friends had gathered close to him and Liza was happily chatting with Ben. For once she wasn’t crying or curled up on herself. Daisy was helping serve the meals and Ollie remained silent, almost unmoving until Max handed him his portion.  
Marc was gone along with most of the other men.

  
Jason glanced around seeing Vaas still sleeping. He took another plate for the pirate, carefully walking towards him as though Vaas could lash out like a wild tiger. Well, that could easily happen depending on his mood. He circled him until he was facing the man even though his face was hidden under the cover.

  
He placed the plate down gently beside him and gently shook Vaas’ shoulder. Vaas groaned but remained where he lay.

  
“Come on, Tiger, breakfast’s ready.” Vaas tensed under Jason’s hand.

  
“What did you just say?”

  
“Breakfast is ready.”

  
“You called me ‘Tiger’.”

  
“Well, it’s because of your tataus. Thought it was appropriate.” The blanket was pulled away and Vaas sat up, one leg brought up so he could rest his head on his knee.

  
“If you don’t like it…” Jason was beginning to regret it. The nickname had slipped out so easily that he couldn’t stop himself. It suited the pirate. At least he thought so.

  
“I do. Er… sorry. My partner used to call me that. Same reason as yours. Heh.”

  
“So you’re not insulted?”

  
“No. It’s nice to be called that again… sorry. Fuck! Not a good way to start, hermano.”

Vaas trailed off, speaking to himself more than Jason who just sighed in relief.  
He didn’t need to piss off Vaas, especially first thing in the morning.

  
“You gonna eat that?” Vaas looked up surprised.

  
“Yeah, yeah! Just… fuck!”

  
“It’s okay to feel angry-”

  
“I’m not angry! I just miss him so much…”

Vaas rubbed his eyes and reached out to grab the plate. He began eating small amounts but stopped after a short while. He stirred the food around the plate, not eating anymore.

  
“That bad uh?” Vaas smirked, shaking his head. “Hey, if you ever wanna talk…”

  
“Look, I’m happy you’re being nice to me rather than destroying my stuff but I really, really don’t wanna talk ‘bout this.” Jason held up both palms to show he was metaphorically backing away.

  
“But if you do,” Vaas glared. “I’m here to listen.”

  
“Why the fuck are you doing this? Was it not enough to fuck up my life on Rook? You gotta act like the better man and play nice? Is that it? Is that fucking it, hermano?”

  
Vaas was standing now, plate discarded, his fists clenched and his body shook slightly. He pointed at Jason accusingly.

  
“You’ve got no fucking right.” He immediately went to the door, picking up his discarded bag and rifle, slamming the door on his way out.

  
The group was silent. They all sat staring at Jason wondering what he could have done. Ollie was smirking and the girls were trying to hide their laughs. Jason stood to follow the enraged pirate. He grabbed his own gear before leaving too, closing the door more gently.

He could see a blur heading towards the stairs heading to the roof. Shouldering his rifle, he slowed his walking to give Vaas some space. There were eight floors in the building including the ground floor. It was a small building compared to the surrounding office blocks in the area.

  
He followed Vaas through a thick metal door leading to an open rooftop covered in metal cases filled with wiring that no longer worked. The rain and lack of maintenance had probably damaged them anyways.

 

Vaas was leaning against the waist-high safety ledge, arms braced in front of him as his fingers loosely ran through his hair. His eyes were closed but his body tensed in the way that Jason knew meant readiness.

Jason slowly approached the pirate, standing closely enough to him to be able to reach him with an extended arm. He glanced over the side of the ledge. The height made his stomach do flips and he looked away, blinking, to drive away the nausea. 

 

“Vaas, I’m not here to fight you. You’re no longer my enemy and I’ve no reason to treat you as such. So for the time being, can we please get along?”

  
“You wanna know why I’m like this, don’t you? Why I’m runnin’ off all the time and gettin' moody.”

  
“You’re always moody.” Vaas glared at him. “Right sorry. Look I’m not gonna force into telling me. It’s your choice. But that’s not what you wanna hear is it? I thought not. Okay, yes I want to know what has reduced a pirate lord who terrified everyone to… this.”

Jason gestured vaguely at the man’s slumped body.  
Vaas sighed deeply. He reached into his pocket to find a small tin case with ready-made joints inside. He lit one, placing it between his lips and relaxed slightly. The smoke disappearing into the cold morning air.

  
“Fine, okay. Where to start? Oh yeah. I lost my men, my boss, my partner and I’m stranded in Seattle with an over protective idiot and incompetent men. Oh and the  
guy who caused all this is sending me mixed messages.”

  
“Mixed messages?”

  
“Yeah, remember when you were yelling at me and calling me a failure yesterday morning and then being flirty last night. What the fuck are you tryna tell me? You hate me but you’re attracted to me? What, Jason? What?”

  
“Alright, look yesterday morning was stupid. It was just a huge shock that you were alive that I just kinda flipped…I’m sorry about that. And last night, I dunno. I just wanted to have fun, plus the weed wasn’t helping me think straight either.”

  
“Okay. Fine. Good to know you’re not tryna mess with my head.” Jason laughed and took the joint away from Vaas’ fingers. He took drags from it, ignoring the pirate’s glare. He handed it back blowing the smoke into the air above him.

  
“So who was your partner?”

  
“You know who.” Jason shrugged, turning his body to face the city. The clouds had begun to clear and bright blue patches appeared letting the sun warm them slightly.

  
“Tell me anyway.” Jason had no idea who it could be. Perhaps one of the girls at his camp. No, they were prostitutes and slaves. Maybe one of his men.

  
“Hoyt.”

  
“What?”

  
No, no, no, no, Jason thought, he knows what happened! He knows I killed Hoyt and now he’s gonna get me. No, no, that’s not right. He probably just wants to talk about it to get it off his chest, nothing else. Act calm Jason.

  
“He called you ‘Tiger‘?”

  
“Yeah, every time he wanted to wake me up or say something nice, he’d call me that along with a few other nicknames.”

  
“So he liked your tataus?”

  
“Yeah, when I met him, he was fascinated by them. Every single fucking night he would trace the pattern with his fingers. Gave me chills.” Vaas laughed, his eyes blown wide and distant, reliving the memory.

  
“Sounds like he cared for you.”

  
“You’ve no fucking clue, hermano. From the day we met we were like this.” He gestured by lacing his hands together tightly. “Lasted for years, till business became too good and he had to go on hundreds of trips every year. Never saw him much after that. He didn’t have time for me and if he had a chance it was only for a few hours… fuck! That still fucks me up how he let that happen!”

  
“Maybe he didn’t have a choice.”

  
“Maybe. Look, I don‘t fucking know what went on in his head. The guy was a genius but he was really thick when it came to relationships. D‘you know he was married twice? Yeah! First girl when he was in South Africa, his dad arranged it to get cash from her folks. She died in a car crash but everybody thought it was suicide.”

  
“That’s awful. What about the second?”

  
“Some really pretty girl he took here when he found the islands. She committed suicide too. Left a note saying it was all his fault. I would’ve killed the bitch myself if I had known her.

"Then he found me stealing drugs and well… Not like that matters now, right?”

  
“Why do you say that?” Jason turned to Vaas. He was getting more info from the pirate than he thought was possible.

  
“Well, it’s not like I can return to Rook, is it? He’s dead. I’m better off joining him in the afterlife.”

  
Jason sighed, taking a fresh joint when Vaas offered him one and lighting it. His hands shook so he grabbed the rough surface of the ledge. Vaas still had that distant look in his eyes, but he occasionally scanned the streets like a predator.

“Vaas, I want you to know that I didn’t know about the two of you until today. I’m sorry. I killed him. You deserve to know the truth.”

  
Vaas turned fast towards Jason, eyes wide in shock. Suddenly Vaas burst out into maniac laughter. He doubled over, clutching at his sides, howling. To say Jason was shocked would be an understatement. Was Vaas just leading him on with this story?

  
“You fucking retard.”

  
“What?”

  
“You didn’t kill Hoyt. Like you didn’t kill me. You missed like a fucking idiot. He had a single cut on the side of his neck and that was all! Fucking hell! You honestly think you’d still be standing there if you had actually killed him? Hermano… come on.”

  
“But I… I stabbed him!”

  
“You were high. According to Hoyt, you couldn’t even stand properly without wobbling like those little dolls, you know, the ones you put on the dashboard!” Vaas tilted his hand repeatedly, finally recovering and leaning against the ledge again.

Jason stood, unmoving, overwhelmed by guilt which quickly turned into anger. He grit his teeth looking up at the sky, attempting to stop breathing hard. Everything he had worked for, pleasing Citra and removing the parasites from the island; All for nothing!

  
“So everything I did was in vain?” Jason began to yell. Vaas remained unflinching but he gripped the knife at his belt. Ready. Always fucking ready for what Jason dished out.

  
“I suppose.”

  
“What about the others? Buck? Citra?”

  
“I meant to ask ‘bout that. D’ya kill her yourself?” Vaas asked nonchalantly, twirling the joint between his fingers.

  
“No, it was an accident… Dennis… he, he tried to kill me when I refused to kill my friends. She stepped in his way and got stabbed-”

  
“Good! Wish you had done it hermano. Bitch had it coming!”

  
“And Buck? He dead too?”

  
“Dunno. He never showed his face on the islands. Hoyt was furious that he never came to a meeting concerning you. I guess that bastard is dead. Hated his guts. You know, when Hoyt was looking after me after my sister went ballistic, Buck strolled in. He took one look at me and asked Hoyt if he could fuck me. Just like that. No hello. No ‘who’s this guy?’. Hoyt went livid and yelled at him till he left.” Vaas laughed quietly but anger shined in his eyes and a sadistic smile appeared.

Jason sighed in relief and relaxed, smoking again. He despised Buck for what he did to Keith. He could still remember his friend flinching away from him thinking he was going to be raped again. Keith never spoke about it and closed in on himself over time. He had likely killed himself in the last two years. Yet for some reason, Jason couldn’t bring himself to care.

  
“What’re we gonna do today then? Those cars need sorting out.”

  
“Yeah. About what Marc said, we’ll give your friends a lift and drop them off somewhere. You still wanna go back?”

  
“Yes. I need it. This. This isn’t who I am anymore.”

Vaas nodded understandingly before throwing the blunt over the ledge, watching it fall. He turned with a wide grin.

  
“Right then, motherfucker! We need to get to work! Come on, hermano!”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning of a suicide attempt and feels near the end.

The next morning Vaas had gathered some of his men and guided them to the garage. Everyone had equipped themselves with weapons from the store and large torch lights as well as a few tools in case the cars needed fixing.

The group consisted of Vaas, Jason, Ben and Max who were inseparable and Andres and Paul. Marc had wanted to come with them but Vaas’ constant yelling and throwing rocks at Marc stopped him. Vaas’ tantrum had almost been funny as he searched for a rock and hit Marc’s arm except the look Marc gave him was that of a kicked puppy. Jason had to look away before he laughed and Vaas merely swore and left the hideout.

Unfortunately, the pirate had refused to keep still and constantly made noise, startling birds and making his men anxious. Something was bound to hear him and come searching.

  
Yet once they had arrived and walked through the concrete corridor that led to the mall’s garage, he had fallen silent, only talking in a hushed voice to give out orders.

  
Right now, only his legs were visible from under the Jeep. The pirate wanted to make sure everything was in working order before setting out away from the city. If even one car broke down the passengers in it would surely die. Infected weren't fast but the truckers patrolling the city were. Their trucks and vans were equipped for kidnapping and dealing with survivors that were no use to them.

Vaas had taken a liking to the large sand coloured Jeep. He even talked to it occasionally, cooing it. Jason was busy checking another car’s oil deeming it fine and moving on to the Jeep.

  
“Everything okay?” A loud thud was heard as Vaas whacked his head. A wrench was thrown at Jason but it missed and skidded past him, tapping Paul’s leg. The latter look up, sighed and turned back to his own car.

  
“Puta.”

  
“So?”

  
“So what?”

  
“Is the car okay?” Jason sighed, sitting on the hood making sure his weight lowered the car.

  
“Motherfucker! Get off before you kill me!”

  
“You saw right through my plan.” Jason laughed but stood up, lifting the car off Vaas’ chest. “So, car. Good or not?”

  
“Yeah, it’s fan-fucking-tastic hermano.” Jason kicked at Vaas’ leg.

“Ok, ok. Yeah, it’s all good and running, just need to check the tank. Mind doin’ that? I’m a little busy.”

  
“Sure thing.” He stepped towards the back, noticed the small latch was locked by key.  
“Hey you got the keys?”

  
“No, just shoot it open or some shit! I dunno!”

  
“Yes because we want the car to explode and kill us all. You got a crow bar somewhere?” Jason rolled his eyes at the pirate’s suggestion not sure whether he was joking or not.

  
“Go ask Andres. He had the tools last time I checked.”

  
The man in question was popping open the hood of a shitty looking Peugeot.

“You’re not seriously gonna drive that, right?”

  
“No fucking way! I need,” he paused and pulled his hand out way from the engine holding the car’s battery. “This! What do you need?”

  
“Crow bar.” Andres leaned down pulling the tool out and handing it to Jason who thanked him, walking back to the Jeep.

  
He pried open the latch, and shining his light into the pipe. The tank was barely filled.

  
“There’s no fuel.” He turned to the rest of the men. “Any one here know how to get the fuel outta here?” Vaas began to laugh, muffled by the car nearly crushing him. Everyone also started snickering to themselves.

  
“Hermano, everyone knows how to do that here.”

  
“Right. Any volunteers? I’m pretty sure Vaas wants this car above any other so we need fuel.” A collective groan erupted but Paul stepped up, carrying a flexible pipe  
in one hand and a jerry can in the other. Jason nodded his thanks and they both emptied as many cars as they could to fill up the canister.

Jason brought it back to the Jeep after thanking Paul again who merely nodded and walked back to his previous spot, working on another vehicle they were planning on using.

  
“Here you go.” He placed it besides the back wheel next to Vaas who was smoking weed again. He was dirty and covered in oil. It stained his hands and face, a little even went into his hair. Vaas grinned and patted Jason’s back.

  
“So when we leaving this shit hole?” Jason asked, stealing the joint from Vaas’ lips and taking a long drag. Vaas scoffed.

  
“Tomorrow if all goes to plan. Thanks by the way, Jas.”

  
“What for?”

  
“Talking to me. Only you get it. Those idiots don’t understand what I’ve… we've been through. What ever happens tomorrow, get back to Rook. You were never meant to leave.” Vaas trailed off, lost in his thoughts. Jason nodded, handing back the joint and leaning back against the car.

 

They returned to the basement later that evening. Those who had remained greeted them warmly and meals were passed around. The plan was discussed over the night.

  
Two people, Gabriel and Andy, were going to remove the debris in front of the door at the same time as the rest of the whole group headed to the garage. It was just a few dumpsters and metal scraps blocking the entrance as Carlos had reported. Then after they were done, the others would wait for the two to arrive and then the cars would be turned on with everyone in position and they would drive off. Janos and Ben had already drawn out a map and checked that each location was debris or trucker free.

  
Once everything had been discussed, the group bid each other goodnight and went off to their own beds. Liza and Daisy were overjoyed at the idea of leaving this god-awful city but Ollie had remained quiet, unmoving.

 

Jason retreat to his own makeshift bed and quickly fell asleep. He was later woken up by the sound of the door open and closing. He looked over his shoulder noticing Vaas’ bed was empty and his rifle was lying beside the strewn blanket.

Slowly making his way out of the basement Jason heard footsteps echoing in the staircase. He followed quietly making sure his steps were as silent as possible up to the roof top.

  
Opening the door, he saw a dark figure sitting on the ledge; a joint lit up and smoke wafting into the air. Jason saw he was holding something in his hands, turning it over and over. He walked closer making sure Vaas heard him as he cleared his throat.

The pirate didn’t move. He kept looking at the object. Jason saw it was a jacket. It looked brand new. Jason thought it could have been taken from the mall when Vaas had ran off in his anger.  
Vaas placed it down in his lap carefully to remove his own tattered jacket with the fur lined hood. He picked up the leather jacket and put it on. It wasn’t the right size. Too small and long. The sleeves covered most of his trembling hands, his fingertips peeking out under the leather. Vaas lifted his hand to remove the joint from his lips and throw it over the ledge to join the one from that morning.

Jason stood still, refusing to move closer to the pirate. He could see his eyes sparkling with unshed tears. Vaas was looking up at the starry sky as dawn shyly creeping up in the far distance. The area they were in was still dark and the streets below them were a black blur.

  
“You should be sleeping Vaas, got a long day ahead of us.”

  
“You do. I don’t.”

  
“What’s that supposed to mean?”

  
“Promise me you’ll get back to Rook somehow. Promise me!”

  
“I promise. Vaas, what’s going on?”

  
“Isn't it obvious? I’m gonna jump…”

  
“No…No! Vaas you can’t! You’re so close to going back home! Please think this through, there‘s no turning back.””

  
“There’s nothing waiting for me on Rook. My men are probably dead.”

  
“Hoyt! What about him?”

  
“He’s dead. Like the rest of them. The virus’ got to them. Hoyt gets slaves from all over the world and they will be infected! Don’t you get it?! He’s dead! He’s….dead.” Vaas broke down, tears flowing freely down his cheeks onto the leather. “I’m gonna join him in the afterlife. I’m gonna see him again on the other side and we’ll be unstoppable…”

  
“Vaas. You told me once that we’re both survivors. There’s the folks who get hunted and those who hunt. You and me are hunters. We survived the fucking end of the world! Don’t do this Vaas.”

  
“I have to…”

Jason climbed up onto the ledge sitting next to Vaas’ shaking form. He wrapped an arm around his shoulders pulling him closer.

  
“What are you doing?”

  
“If you jump, I jump. Either we both live or we both die."

  
“No! You need to get back to Rook!”

  
“Yeah and I can’t do that if I’m dead, so how ‘bout we get off this fucking ledge and get high together?”

  
“…Jason… Why?”

  
“I believe in your little ‘fate’ idea. And I don’t want to have to explain to Hoyt that you committed suicide and I couldn’t save your sorry ass.”

  
“He’s dead.”

  
“Why do you want me to go back to Rook?” A long pause waited out between the two. Jason’s arm was still wrapped around Vaas who was crying openly now.

  
“You belong there. You… I don’t fucking know! Just…you promised me.”

  
“I plan on keeping that promise but only if you come with me.”

  
“I’m not gonna change your mind, am I?” Vaas sighed.

  
“No fucking way, Tiger.” Vaas smiled softly. He leaned into Jason’s touch.

  
“I don’t know what to do… Jas…help me.”

  
“Let’s start with getting off this ledge. Then we’ll see, okay?” Vaas nodded weakly letting Jason carefully manoeuvre him and lift him up bridal style.

He laughed quietly but didn’t protest. Jason let him down and kept his arm around the smaller man who had stopped crying and just stared blankly at the floor.

  
“Let’s get you inside so we can sleep a little, eh?” Vaas made no noise but picked up his bag and jacket, walking towards the emergency door that led to the roof.

  
Jason walked behind him in the small staircase and opened the basement door, holding it open for Vaas.

  
“I’m not a chick.” He joked, smiling kindly. He stopped, looking back at Jason.

  
“Sleep with me. Tonight. I don’t want to be alone…”

  
“Of course.”

The two made their way to Vaas’ bed quietly. Jason was sure few people were awake and if Marc was up, things would get spiteful in the morning.

  
Vaas had removed the leather jacket, put his own back on, and folded it carefully back into his bag. He lay down on his side facing away from Jason as the latter got comfortable under the thick blanket.

Jason hesitantly moved his arm close to Vaas’ side to let the pirate decide if he wanted the other closer.  
A hand whipped out and pulled Jason’s arm until it was draped over Vaas and Jason was close enough to nuzzle his neck. Jason adjusted his position slightly to pull the other man further against his chest. He heard a small sigh and felt Vaas’ entire body relax.

  
“Goodnight Tiger.”

  
“G’night Snow…” Vaas mumbled, drifting off to sleep immediately.

Jason took longer, thinking about tonight over and over again. He was proud in himself for talking Vaas down but prouder in the other for the way Vaas just kept going. Vaas couldn’t be stopped and he couldn’t let the pirate just…die. Not like that. In a hail of bullets, protecting his island, yes.

  
The smaller man shifted slightly bringing Jason out of his thoughts. He wrapped his arm tighter and leaned into the other, falling asleep dreaming of Rook and Vaas and tigers roaming the island freely.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of action :)

The sun was barely rising over the skyscrapers; the glass shining dully in the foggy blur that engulfed the streets. The only sound came from birds chirping and the muffled footsteps of several men and women making their way across Seattle. The group had woken up before dawn and packed their meagre belongings into rucksacks. Everyone had been given at least one rifle and a handgun to protect themselves from infected or truckers.   
Ollie had been reluctant at first but Daisy convinced him to follow her and Jason to the mall garage close to their hiding spot. The basement seemed empty as Jason turned back towards it. The fire had been put out bathing the concrete room in darkness. The ammo crates were emptied and sleeping bags and blankets were carried by hand. 

Gabriel and Andy had gone first, heading towards the garage doors to clear the debris and dumpsters that blocked their way. Next were Max and Ben, who constantly checked the surrounding area for any movement, followed by Carlos, Janos, and Marc. The girls and Ollie were the next to leave, carrying a rifle and blankets. Daisy gripped the gun tightly, looking around and keeping up with the men in front of her.   
Liza had started sobbing as they packed. She cried and refused to gather her stuff and accept the pistol held out to her. Vaas yelled at her but eventually gave up as it made her cower further into the wall. It was Marc who had finally gotten through to her and hugged her. Liza joined the group but refused the gun once more. After that she stayed silent much to Jason’s approval. Jason was fed up with his so-called friends. At least Daisy was actually trying to survive but the two others had already given up. Jason could see their hope had diminished after Rook and now it was entirely gone.  
Jason, on the other hand, was filled with adrenaline and he focused on staying quiet as they made it through the dark tunnels and flooded corridors that stank of rot and humidity. He was finally going back to Rook. Or at least away from this area.

The group of twelve, now that Gabriel and Andy had gone off to do their thing, finally arrived at the mall. Those had had never seen it yet were gasping at the sheer size of the ground floor with its partly destroyed statue. Vaas went to the front of the group with Jason and led the others into the gun shop, through the corridor and into the spacious garage beneath it. Five cars were repaired including the Jeep that Vaas was so fond of.   
The group was divided with Jason, Vaas, Ben and Max in the Jeep. They placed all their bags in the boot, keeping their rifles with them. The second car had Carlos and Daisy at the front and Ollie hiding in the back. The car keys had been in the ignition unlike the Jeep’s, meaning that Vaas had to hot-wire it. The third car was for Marc, Andy and Liza, who hadn’t left Marc’s side for a while now, almost clinging to his arm. The fourth was for Paul and Andres to carry blankets and food and provide an extra car if needed. The fifth was also for supplies with Janos and Gabriel.

The cars were loaded up and Jason prepared himself. He turned to Vaas who had lit up a joint and was leaning back into the seat nonchalantly.   
“You seem relaxed.” Vaas blinked, remembering where he was. He shrugged, smirking at Jason, handing the joint to him knowingly.  
Jason took long drags from it, but threw it out of the car window as he saw Andy come through an exit door to his right. Vaas sighed disappointedly but started to fumble with the wires under the stirring wheel.   
Gabriel soon followed, panting slightly and covered in blood, his wrist bent awkwardly. He jogged over to Marc.  
“We ran into some infected. All dead.”  
“You bitten?”  
“No but I think my wrist’s broken…”  
“Get into your car and try to man the gun if you can.”  
“I’ll try, boss.”  
Vaas scoffed quickly and Jason saw Marc glaring at what was visible of Vaas. He had his head completely hidden from Marc’s point of view but Jason could see him smirking.   
Andy was pulling the garage door open. It creaked as the rusted joints were forced apart and light flooded the garage. He jumped into his car, rifle loaded with the barrel sticking out of the open window.

In unison all the engines were turned out and the cars rumbled after months of disuse. The Jeep roared to life and Vaas sat back in his seat, prepping the car before pulling out of the garage first. The up-hill slope wasn’t a struggle to get past and soon all the cars were lined up one after the other on the road.  
Jason pulled out a copy of the map Marc gave him and gave Vaas directions as the cars picked up speed.   
The area of the mall was deserted and any debris was crushed by the Jeep or had been moved by the men the previous night. The roads were smooth so everyone managed to keep up with each other easily.

They neared the Evergreen bridge after half an hour. At first, it seemed empty with abandoned cars along the way. The long dip hid several men armed with guns.  
A mine exploded very close to the Jeep but Vaas swerved in time to avoid most of the blast. The heat scorched Jason’s arm slightly and he tightened his grip on the rifle. Jason could see the long line of tarmac ahead of them. It was covered with truckers and they had blocked the end of the bridge with cars.  
“Shoot them!” Vaas yelled, jerking the car left to avoid another mine. The blast caught the car behind them and he heard someone screaming behind him. Daisy and Ollie were in there. No time to check, he thought.

Aiming the gun at the upcoming men, he pressed the trigger and the nearest man fell dead, awkwardly slumping against the hood of a car. Jason smirked and carried on shooting the truckers as they neared the barricade. He could hear gun shots from behind him and the distraction almost killed him as a bullet went straight through the windscreen and embedded itself in the head rest.  
“Fucking idiot! Shoot!” Vaas was yelling again but his eyes were focused on the truckers.  
A large military truck pulled up beside them and someone onboard was aiming at Vaas’ head. Jason took out his pistol and shot the man dead, not having to tell Vaas to duck. Another couple of shots rang out and pain exploded in his shoulder. Gritting his teeth, Jason kept aiming and caught the driver. The truck swerved and hit the concrete banks. The movement caused it to bounce back against the Jeep, but Vaas hit the brakes, sending the truck barrelling through the safety ledge and into the water underneath. 

The barricade had not moved and Jason kept shooting at them, now swapping to his rifle again. He ignored the pain and lodged several bullets into a man who stood in the middle of the road with a grenade launcher. He fell down to his knees but the front bumper of the Jeep crushed him. Vaas laughed maniacally.  
“That’s what I’m talking about, motherfuckers!” He grinned at Jason.   
“You better duck.” He warned as they neared the exit.   
Suddenly the car lurched forward and accelerated. The men barring their way raised their guns and fired, destroying the wind-shield. Vaas punched the remaining glass out of the way and Jason peeked up, seeing the men scatter to either side of the bridge as the Jeep smashed through the car parked in front of them.  
The vehicle skidded away to the side, flames claiming the hood of it. The Jeep tore through the hastily made gate, hitting a man and crushing his legs with the weight of the Jeep. Jason heard a scream. Probably from the man. 

Jason could barely see into the rear view mirror but he sighed in relief as he saw the remaining cars with his friends and the pirates inside were following the Jeep just fine. The car behind them had burns across the hood and the wind-shield was smashed as well. Daisy’s head was bloody and Carlos was focused on the road. He couldn’t see Ollie except for some blond hair peeking out behind Daisy’s seat.  
“We should be fine from now on, hermano.” Vaas grinned, turning into a narrow street and parking the car. He stepped outside and Jason could hear him rummaging in the boot.   
Vaas came back with a medical kit and started to clean the wound. Jason had chosen to wear a t-shirt thankfully and Vaas expertly removed the bullet. Jason grunted, trying not to seem weak in front of the pirate lord. Vaas smiled at him, showing him a bloody piece of metal in his open palm. It hadn’t hit the shoulder but the upper part of his arm.  
“Wanna keep it?” Jason shot him a strange look and Vaas shrugged, taking out a water bottle and washing the bullet. He pocketed it and went to Jason’s arm, prepping a needle and stitching the skin back together.  
“What would I ever do without you?” Jason joked, thanking Vaas as he carefully wrapped clean bandages around the wound. Vaas smiled at him in a way that made him seem more human.

“Jason! Jason, are you okay?” Daisy yelled out rushing to Jason. Vaas’ smile dropped instantly and he moved to put the kit away.  
“I’m fine. That was so fun!”  
“Fun? We nearly died!”  
“But we didn’t!” Jason argued, smirk plastered on his face as Daisy visibly gave up, throwing her arms into the air and sighing loudly.  
“The other’s okay?”  
“Yes, it was you and our car that got the worst. Bullet nicked my head. See?” She pointed to a thick but shallow gash across her scalp.  
“You and Vaas can be twins now.”  
“Ha fucking ha! Look we need to get out of here. I’m going to check on Liza and then we leave.” She left angrily stomping away leaving Jason giggling to himself.

Sitting back in his seat, he gingerly pressed against his wound and winced. Jason heard scuffling outside.  
Vaas’ voice could be heard very distinctively and soon Jason heard Marc yelling at him. Deciding that no one would try to stop them, Jason carefully opened the car door and walked over to the third car where Vaas was trying to grab Marc’s shirt and punch him. Marc dodged quickly but Vaas charged at him and making them both fall to the ground. Vaas straddled Marc’s chest bringing a knee against Marc’s throat and pressing hard. Marc was still dazed. He must have hit his head. But he tried to grapple Vaas.   
Jason stepped behind Vaas, hooking his uninjured arm around the pirate’s chest and pulling him off with little ease.  
“Come on, there’s no need for this.”  
“His fucking fault.”   
Vaas roughly shoved past Jason and climbed back into the Jeep. Jason turned back to Marc, holding out a hand but Marc refused it, glaring daggers at Jason.  
Suddenly the kind face morphed into that of a dangerous predator.  
“You stay the fuck away from Vaas. It’s your fault we’re all out here!”  
“What, you mean free? Escaping a shitty basement and finally going back to Rook? Cause, unless you haven’t been paying attention, that’s what’s happening now.”  
“Some of us don’t want to go back to Rook!”  
“Well that’s your fucking problem. Vaas and I are heading there and anyone is welcome to join us. You, on the other hand, are welcome to fuck off!”

Jason wasn’t sure who threw the first punch but by the time Ben had pulled them apart, his stitches had been ripped apart and blood was dripping heavily from his nose. Marc wasn’t better off. He had a black eye and a gash across his cheek.  
“That’s enough! Both of you need to calm the fuck down!” Ben yelled, frustrated and pacing as a way to calm himself. Jason stood back smirking before joining Vaas in the passenger seat.  
“You look good.” Vaas grinned, gently patting Jason’s shoulder in approval.  
“We should get going.” Vaas nodded but ignited the engine nonetheless.


	11. Chapter 11

The convoy of cars stopped just outside of Oregon for the night. A large fire had been lit and blankets encircled it, most of the group had already finished their meal.  
The girls chatted with Ben and Max. Ollie remained silent and the rest of the group stayed away from Vaas and Jason. Marc also stayed as far from Vaas as possible. His eye had swollen shut and Jason tried hard not to gloat.   
Eventually, as the sun began to set, Vaas stood up, surprising Jason who had comfortably snuggled close to the pirate, resting his head on the man's shoulder. Groaning, Jason sat up, rubbing his eyes wearily. The previous night had been very emotional and difficult and sleeping next to Vaas for only two hours had not been enough.   
Once the adrenaline had worn off, it left Jason exhausted. The pain in his arm was no longer easy to ignore and the wound throbbed.  
Vaas stood in front of the others, seemingly relaxed rather than showing his exhaustion like the others.  
“Alright then, motherfuckers, pay attention! I gotta tell you guys something pretty big. Me and Jason plan on going back to Rook Island! Yes, yes I know, it’s pretty impossible but we’ll manage.” Vaas winked at Jason, earning him a groan. "Thing is, I wanna know who’s coming with! So, anyone wanna go home?”   
He extended his arms as a welcoming gesture and the group began murmuring among themselves.   
“I’ll go with you.” Ben spoke up, Max nodding towards Vaas as well. The pirate lord smiled and turned towards the others. Gabriel nodded as well and Andres raised his hand slightly, giving Vaas a small smile.  
“Alrighty then! Anyone else? Look, amigos, this is your last chance. Jas and I are heading out tomorrow and we’re not looking back. No one? Okay! Well then I suggest we all say our goodbyes tonight.” The group looked among themselves, the cheery mood was gone, replaced by solemn glances and mumbling farewells.

Daisy stood to go join Jason beside the Jeep. She leaned back, crossing her arms and glancing at her friends gathered around the small fire. She didn’t face Jason as she spoke. Just like Liza, he thought.  
“So, you’re going back there? After everything?” Her tone was harsh and clipped as though she wanted to believe otherwise yet show no interest.  
“I have no choice. It’s where I belong…” Jason reasoned. He didn't have to prove himself to her.  
“If Grant could see you now…” She started.  
“Grant’s not here! He’s long dead!” Jason flinched inwardly. The words stinging him and dragging him down. He knew what happened. He remember every single detail from the blood pouring out of his throat and the look of shock in Grant's eyes. It was a terrible death. Grant was a soldier. He didn't deserve to be shot down so suddenly without a fight. But Jason couldn't bring himself to care much anymore. He started to get close to Vaas even if the pirate was to blame.  
“And you’re gonna join the guy who killed him!” Jason held back from slapping her but he moved in a way that made Daisy flinch away from him slightly. She had gone too far and she knew it. Talking about Grant's death was off limits.  
“What about us? Do we not matter?”  
“You want the truth, or a comfy lie? Cause nothing that you say will make me change my mind.”  
“You know what? I don’t want to know.” She gave a dry laugh as she shook her head in denial.“Have fun with your brother’s murderer, Jason. One day, he’ll turn on you as well. It was nice seeing you again.” She left to sit with Liza, leaving Jason in uncomfortable silence. Daisy was right. But Jason had to go back to Rook. He was a warrior and he had earned the tatau that rested as a constant reminder on his arm. Jason glanced at Vaas who was laughing with Janos in Spanish. He barely understand a word but he had heard the word ‘whore’ and by the way Janos was blushing, it was inappropriate.   
Yet it lightened the mood of the pirates. 

Marc was still sulking and giving Jason death-glares whenever he could. Jason almost felt bad for the guy. He really seemed pinned to Vaas but he couldn’t stop the pirate lord from returning to Rook. Marc seemed to prefer Vaas when he was calm and nearly lovable. Jason had learned that there was no taming Vaas. Marc had to learn that at some point, even if it came at a bad time.  
Jason moved to sit next to Gabriel and poked the fire with a strewn stick. The pirate was quiet as he rearranged his rucksack.   
“Vaas must really trust you to let you come back.”  
“He and I understand each other. Plus I’m not gonna bother trying to stop your work anymore.”  
“Bit late.”  
“Yeah, I guess. I have no reason to fight anymore.”  
“Good. Because my better judgement is telling me to trust you. Betray Vaas and I will avenge him and everyone else you've killed.” Jason nodded, smiling. He looked up noticing that Vaas was making his way to Marc. The taller man refused to acknowledge the pirate, even as Vaas sat next to him.  
“Gonna miss you, hermano.”  
“Really?” Marc mumbled sarcastically, trying not to touch his eye.   
“Yeah, I am. We had a good run.” Vaas smiled, clapping the other on the back.  
“It’s all cause of Brody. You’re dumping me for him.” Marc turned his head and nodded at Jason, who sat pretending not to listen in. Vaas, on the other hand, struggled to stay calm.  
“No, it’s not. I made a mistake and I’m trying to make things better.”  
“What mistake? Meeting me?”  
“No! Look, I already have a partner. Not Brody. Someone else who means the world to me. Jas made me realise that I can’t give up. Not when he’s waiting for me to come back home." Vaas’ eyes had become teary but he kept calm and left Marc to sit alone. He left to check out the Jeep after saying his final goodbyes to everyone. Jason stood to join him.  
“You handled that quite well.” Jason said, half-hugging the pirate with his non-injured arm.  
“Yeah, you think so? I’m shit with emotions and stuff like that… Still, had to be done right?” Vaas refused to look up, smiling as he tried not to cry. His mother had taught him that a warrior doesn't need to.  
“Yes. I think he understands better now.”  
“Not like it matters. He’s not coming with us.”  
“Do you believe what you said? About Hoyt waiting for you?”  
“I don’t know… I want him to be there sitting in his office behind that massive desk and just… I need him to be there.”  
“And if he’s not?”  
Vaas looked at him once, tears falling freely now. There was no need for words. 

 

Jason laid down in his makeshift bed and fell asleep quickly. For the first time in months, he did not dream and his eyes opened blearily to a faint light over the horizon and he heard the sound of hurried footsteps and whispering. Apart from one person.  
“Shut the fuck up! Jas is still sleeping.”  
“You’re making noise too.”   
“You woke him! Well done!”  
Someone neared his head and the outline of Vaas’ body came into view. The pirate crouched beside him, gently running his fingers through Jason’s hair.  
“Wakey, wakey, Jas! We need to go soon.”

Jason quickly ate breakfast which was a cereal bar the size of his hand and readied the car with plenty of accessible food, water and ammo.   
Saying his final farewell to Daisy, he moved to hug Liza one last time. She didn’t return it. Ollie gave him a pat on the shoulder and mumbled a small goodbye.   
Soon two cars had been taken. One for Vaas and Jason and the other for the four others. Vaas was driving once again and they took off down the two lane road as the sun began to crawl up. Throughout the day they chatted about hunting and which weapons were best for what. Jason thought that knives were more delicate and better suited. The Rakyat had taught him that. Vaas preferred rifles and flame-throwers like the ones Privateers used.

After a week of driving, resting, looting from shops and homes, they finally arrived near a small military airport with a small number of infected. They were quickly dealt with and the cars were parked inside a hangar. They slept the night and investigated the planes. Max had experience with flying and managed to refuel a basic military jet. It was nothing fancy or expensive. In the meantime, Vaas and Jason had been drawing notes all over a map and picking out the easiest refuelling points along the way. The short way to Rook would take at least 18/19 hours if they were lucky. They would stop in Bangkok for a while as well.

Jason had filled the plane with food supplies and they slept another night before Max moved the plane onto the main runway. With everyone onboard and every supply checked, the plane took off easily and they made it into the air without problem. Below them, Jason noticed infected running out onto a runway far from them. The booming noise of the engines waking them. Sitting back comfortably, Jason glanced at Vaas who was sleeping across his lap like a cat. The pirate occasionally moved but made no noise. Max and Ben were piloting the plane. Well, mostly Max as Ben was too nervous to touch any of the flashing light switches. Gabriel was resting opposite Jason with Andres sleeping as well.  
At some point during the night, Max landed the plane on a small airbase. Jason shook Vaas awake and both of them stepped outside to stretch and grab something to eat.  
“You’ve been awfully quiet today. Is everything alright?” Jason asked, taking drags from a freshly lit joint.  
“Nervous, I guess. I don’t know what’s waiting for me there. Are the pirates dead? Are the Rakyat back in charge? I don’t have a single fucking answer and it fucking scares me, hermano…”   
“I’m here, don’t forget.”  
“I can’t! You won’t shut up!”  
“Ha ha! Why do I even worry?”  
“Yeah, why do you? I can take care of myself.” Jason shot him a look but Vaas ignored it, smirking as he went back inside the plane via the cargo hold.

Jason slept next to the pirate again that night as Andres had offered to fly to give Max a break. Without a second thought, Max agreed, falling asleep almost instantly.  
When Jason woke up, they were flying over the ocean. He asked where they were but Max, who was flying again, shrugged, refusing to divide his attention even to Ben.  
Vaas joined him for breakfast and soon Ben called out saying a group of islands were in sight. Jason rushed to the cockpit and saw a large island and a nearing runway.  
As the plane lowered to the ground, everyone took their seat. Jason spotted the yellow flag of the privateers and thick black smoke dotting the island.   
A sudden harsh jolst and the hard screech of brakes told him that they had landed.   
He could hear shouting outside and the plane came to a full stop. Grinning at Vaas, he let the pirates open the cargo door first.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of updates, life is a bit difficult atm due to a house move and the 16th chapter is taking a while to write.

Upon arrival, the group was greeted by privateers armed with rifles trained on them. Vaas made his way past Jason to the front of the privateers. Immediately, they lowered their weapons and greeted Vaas warmly. After some discussion, mostly Vaas yelling at some recruits, some cars were loaded up and they were driven across the South island. It took close to an hour to reach the Compound by the time almost every Privateer knew Vaas was back. Along with Snow White.

Guards raised their guns at Jason but Vaas’ constant swearing and yelling made them turn a blind eye as their enemy moved through the Compound. Gabriel and the others had followed a recruit into another building to rest and eat. Vaas, however, ignored his tiredness and jogged up to the steps leading to Hoyt’s main building.   
A large man tried to stop them but yet again was ignored by Vaas who simply held the door open for Jason.  
Walking through the familiar corridors, nostalgia hit Jason like a brick wall and his stomach made flips as he climbed the stairs to Hoyt’s office. Vaas was perfectly calm on the outside but his eyes were darting wildly from side to side.  
They stopped in front of the double doors. Vaas raised his hand to knock. There was no answer. He knocked again but only silence responded.   
Twisting the handle, Vaas slowly pushed the door open before fully walking in, followed closely by Jason. Vaas carried on further into the room, dropping his bag and rifle by the large desk. Jason stayed by the door, closing it behind him. 

Hoyt was leaning back in his chair, face hidden as he looked outside. His hand hung limply over the armrest and an empty syringe rested on the desk beside him.  
“Hey, Hoyt? It’s me. It’s Vaas.”  
The pirate carefully moved towards the man, gently holding his hand to check for a pulse discreetly. Hoyt made no movement and concern grew on Vaas’ face. He knelt beside the drug lord.  
“Hoyt, can you hear me? Hoyt?” More urgent this time. No response.  
Jason moved to the desk to check the syringe. It had a small label that was unreadable scribbled roughly on it. He began to panic slightly but kept his voice level.  
“Vaas, you need to move him to the couch.” The pirate did as told, carefully lifting the other and carrying him to the leather couch close to the desk.  
Hoyt didn’t move and he seemed peaceful.  
“What now?” Vaas was panicking, his voice raising slightly as he kept glancing between his partner and Jason.  
“I need a medical kit and a small light.”  
“Through there.” Vaas pointed to a door that led to a small bathroom. Jason hurried inside, searching all the drawers until he found a white box. Checking the contents, he could hear Vaas pleading Hoyt to wake up.  
Jason returned and moved to sit on the floor next to Hoyt. Switching on a thin torchlight, he opened Hoyt’s eyes to check his response. His pupils shrank to stop the piercing light. Good sign, Jason thought. Jason checked the man’s pulse finding that it was slowly becoming normal again. The dosage wasn't strong enough, Jason thought.  
“He’ll be fine. Let him rest and make sure you've got water and food. Oh, he might be sick too.”   
Jason glanced at Vaas. The pirate had brought his knees up and wrapped his arms around them. Tears were streaming down his face. But he was smiling slightly.  
“Thank you.” He whispered, rubbing a hand across his eyes to dry them. He crawled closer before wrapping his arms around Jason. Jason hugged the other until Vaas decided to rest his head next to Hoyt, bringing the other’s hand to his cheek as he settled against the couch.  
“I’ll get the stuff. Hang in there. He’s alive.” Jason left with those words leaving Vaas smiling up at his partner.

 

Searching the Compound had not been easy but he eventually gathered all the supplies after bribing the cook with his last few dollars. The privateers made it extremely difficult to move about as they constantly stopped him and asked him pointless questions.  
He made his way back to Hoyt’s office to find the latter sitting up wearily with Vaas’ help. The pirate was oddly calm and spoke gently as Hoyt finally acknowledged him. Jason handed Vaas the water, knowing it was better if it came for the pirate rather than him. Hoyt accepted it and tried to sit up fully. He nearly collapsed but Vaas caught him, holding the other close and letting Hoyt rest his head on Vaas’ shoulder. Hoyt was breathing heavily and he had difficulty focusing on voices or movement.

Light footsteps came from the staircase and Jason turned to see a young lady frowning. Her eyes widened and she ran to Hoyt, harshly pushing Jason aside.  
“Get the fuck away from him! You fucking freak!” She yelled in a high pitched voice. The girl tried to move Vaas away but he grabbed her flaying arm, twisted it behind her back and kicked her to the ground. She fell awkwardly with a thud.   
Jason didn’t bother hiding his smirk and he could see Hoyt smiling, his eyes closed and body slouched. Vaas, on the other hand, was furious. He tried to grab her again but she scooted away in time to avoid the heel of his boot colliding with her side.  
“Alright that’s enough!” Jason placed his hands on Vaas’ chest, standing between the pirate and the cowering girl. He looked over his shoulder and the girl bared her teeth at him.  
“Who are you?” He moved away from Vaas and turned to her.  
“I can ask you the same thing!”  
“I’m Jason. This is Vaas Montenegro. I’m sure you know that name. So, your turn.”  
“Isabella. I’m Hoyt’s nurse.”  
“Oh really? Then where the fuck where you when Hoyt tried to kill himself?” Vaas yelled, threatening to hit her again as his arm was raised.  
Her face went white and she glanced at Hoyt who seemed asleep. She stood up, wobbling slightly. Vaas stood in her way with his hands on his rifle. Jason hadn't even noticed he had picked it up.  
“Get the fuck away from him.”  
“I’m a nurse!”  
“I don’t give two shits. Stay away from him or your pretty head will be splattered on the wall behind you.”  
The girl flinched and looked at her boss once more before nodding and walking out of the office. Vaas lowered his rifle, setting it down on the immense desk and turning his attention to Hoyt again.  
“Is there a bedroom nearby?”  
“I like you and all, Jas, but this isn’t the time…”  
“I meant for him. He needs to sleep.”  
“Yeah, okay. His house is close to the Compound. You get the car ready and I’ll get him in, yeah?”  
“Good.”

 

Thirty minutes later, Vaas was aggressively jerking the steering wheel and barely managing to keep the car on the road. Jason was in the passenger seat, occasionally looking back at the drug lord who was unconscious across the backseats.  
Bringing his arm back, he grabbed Hoyt’s wrist to check his pulse. It was steady now and whatever he had used to try and off himself hadn’t worked. Kinda ironic since he specialises in drugs, Jason mused.  
Jason wasn’t sure where to stand at the moment concerning the two passengers. Both Vaas and Hoyt were suicidal. Hoyt’s reason was unknown but Jason would bet that it had to do with Vaas’ disappearance. 

His train of thought was interrupted when the car screeched to a halt and Jason had to brace himself using his hand on the dashboard.  
He helped Vaas get Hoyt out of the car, holding him up between the two of them. They had driving up through metal gates and a large house that resembled a lodge was just in front of them. Vaas suddenly stopped to dip his hand in Hoyt’s blazer pocket and retrieved a set of keys. He sorted through them quickly and unlocked the door.

Jason entered a hallway that carried on his right with a door next to his left. There was a large chest of drawers on which Vaas dropped the keys before opening the next door. They walked through into a large room with a staircase along the far wall.  
“Bedroom’s upstairs.” Vaas grinned, taking most of Hoyt’s weight to help Jason out.  
Eventually Vaas got Hoyt into his room without problem and laid him down on the massive double bed.  
“We should let him rest. Vaas, come on. I need food.” Vaas turned away and walked back down the stairs. Jason followed him as to not get lost. 

The house was bigger than anything he had seen on Rook so far. But the style bothered him slightly. Every other building was concrete, wooden or just a small shack that looked like it wouldn't survive the next storm. Yet this house was built like a ski lodge that belonged in the Alps. Jason had stayed in one once on a school trip and it looked very similar to Hoyt’s. Deciding that he couldn’t keep his curiosity at bay, he asked Vaas about it.  
“His first wife wanted a place that reminded her of home. Plus Hoyt often has guests.”  
“Guests?”  
“Yeah, you know, rich pricks who buy from him. They sometimes come here, play poker with Hoyt, check out the goods and take some back with them.”  
“Ah.” Jason frowned as he sat down at a round table in the kitchen.  
It was smaller than Jason expected but it contained plenty of expensive equipment that still looked new.   
He stood to open the fridge. The bright lights inside illuminated the near empty shelves. Closing the door again, he looked at Vaas who was refilling his rifle.  
“There’s nothing to eat.”  
“I know. Hoyt doesn't stick around here long. Mostly stays in his office.”  
“How come?”  
“Dunno. He’s always been like that. Too much work to do, I guess.”  
“So. Food. We’re going hunting?”  
“No. I am. You,” Vaas pointed at Jason, “are staying right here. Leave and I will shoot you and drag you back screaming.” Vaas smirked and left the kitchen with his rifle in hand and a knife at his belt.


	13. Chapter 13

Vaas smirked and left the kitchen with his rifle in hand and a knife at his belt.   
Jason only just noticed that Vaas had removed his coat and shirt somewhere between landing the plane and bringing Hoyt here, leaving a thin t-shirt on. The stress had decreased his attention span and the events of the last few hours were finally dawning on him.  
Jason was finally back on Rook after two years. He was back on the islands that had flipped his life upside down without warning and gave him only one choice: kill or be killed. Jason still remembered how terrified he was after his brother died. His first kill had haunted his dreams for weeks but eventually he got used to the ways of the islands and he could cheer with joy when a bullet struck the skull of a pirate or a knife embedded itself in the shoulder of another. 

After returning to California, he had gone to his mother’s house with Riley to deliver her the news of his brother’s death. She had mourned for several months and Riley had volunteered to stay with her for a while. Not wanting to worsen his mood since he was prone to fits of violence, Jason had moved into a small flat in Santa Monica away from the others. He had worked in several places, working in a surf’s shop and even as a sales assistant to try to get used to normal civilian life again. Nothing worked for him and soon after the chemical explosion in LA had gone off leaving the world in chaos. By then, Jason and his remaining friends were on a trip in Seattle. Within the night, the lives of most Americans had been destroyed including the lives of his friends. Well, mentally at least. 

They had been taken by soldiers into large military trucks and transported into a high security area that the virus could not reach. Everyone had been thoroughly cleaned and checked before being allowed into the safe zone. Many had been shot because they were suspected of being infected.  
A year or so later and Jason was finally sick of eating rations made from god knows what and he had devised a plan to escape on his own. Liza had caught him before he could make a move and had guilt-tripped him into taking them with him. Jason knew that it was a stupid idea but she had pleaded so much and so loudly that she nearly alerted the guards on duty. Pressing his hand against her mouth a bit too roughly, he promised to help them. It was a stupid decision but she gave him no other choice. They had left via the sewers and ran as far as possible to an abandoned area.  
Now, it didn’t even matter that he had taken them with him. His friends were thousands of miles away and they would never see him again. He tried to feel guilty but he just couldn’t. Jason couldn't even remember Grant's voice anymore. All that mattered now was that he was home. 

 

His thoughts were stopped by the sound of footsteps coming from upstairs. Jason walked through the kitchen into the living room and up the stairs on the right. He hadn’t properly looked the night before but now he noticed the large stone fireplace and hunting trophies on the walls. There was a large leather couch and two matching armchairs on either side facing the fireplace. Across the room was a bar with hundreds of various bottles, all of which looked expensive. A beautiful hand-woven rug covered the area under the couch. There was also a small round table and set of chairs near the stairs.

Hoyt’s room was at the end of the corridor and Jason knocked on the door before entering. The drug lord was sitting on a mahogany bed with black bed sheets with his elbows resting on his knees and his head in his hands. He side-glanced at Jason and rubbed at his eyes, sighing before straightening up.  
“How do you feel?” Jason asked, emotionless.  
“Like shit.” He paused, looked around his room and his eyes settled on Jason, for a few seconds before facing the wall, who was leaning against the door frame.  
“Is this even real? I saw Vaas… for a few seconds… and then everything went dark. Is he here, or just you?”  
“Vaas is here, yes. Well, technically, he’s just outside catching dinner. We just arrived this morning.”  
“He’s been gone for two years. I thought I’d never see him again…”   
“Is that why you tried to commit suicide?” Hoyt turned to him, and Jason’s heart dropped at the sight of the broken man. He had the same look as Jason’s friends after Rook. That hopelessness and lack of will to live.  
“…Yes. Look’s like I failed.”   
“That’s a good thing. Now, you can be with Vaas.”  
“How is he?”  
“Scared. But now that you’re stable, he’s gonna be happy again. You two really need to talk.”  
“I want to forget this all happened.”  
“I’m sure he does too. But you should talk nonetheless.”  
As if on cue, the front door slammed closed and they could hear Spanish as Vaas loudly made his way through the house.  
“Jason!” Vaas yelled.  
“I’ll be right back.”

Jason exited and saw the pirate lord at the bottom of the stairs covered in blood and grinning wildly. He couldn’t help but shake his head and smile.  
“What the fuck happened to you?”  
“Boar. It got messy!”  
“I can see that.” Jason laughed and as he glanced inside the kitchen, he could see large chunks of meat on the table.  
“Hoyt’s gonna kill you.” Vaas shrugged, pushing past Jason and into Hoyt’s bedroom.Deciding against common sense, he followed Vaas into the luxurious bedroom and smirked as the pirate nearly leaped on Hoyt. The latter smiled weakly and wrapped his arms around Vaas. Jason took that as his cue to leave and he went to the kitchen to prepare the boar.  
An hour later and the boar steaks were sizzling on the stove and Jason luckily found some vegetables in the garden outside. He could hear Vaas laughing loudly as he climbed down the stairs. Hoyt followed him, hand grasping the railing tightly.  
“Smells good!” Vaas grinned as he entered the kitchen. He grabbed Jason’s hip and leaned over to steal some food from the pan. He pulled away, smacking Jason’s ass. Jason noticed Hoyt’s glare.  
“You fucking need to go shopping, Hoyt.” The drug lord sat down and Vaas went through a door along the far wall and down a concrete staircase that led to the basement. He stayed down there a few minutes before coming back up with a crate of beer bottles.  
“Such standards.” Hoyt joked but accepted a cooled bottle.  
Vaas was kind enough to get the plates out and set the table and soon they were all eating in silence. The pirate got bored quickly and he soon got another beer.

“So, Hoyt, how’s business going?” The drug lord looked up, surprised.  
“Good, I guess. That accident last year nearly ruined my work but everything’s finally picking up again. Most of the world wasn’t even affected.”  
“Hell yeah, good! You know, we were cut off from everything. Jas and I didn’t know what was goin’ on anymore.”  
“So you won’t know about the cure then?”  
Jason and Vaas looked at each other, confused, and both turned to Hoyt.  
“There’s a cure?” Jason asked.  
“Yep, been one for several months. It doesn’t stop the virus if you already have it but it can prevent it. And one of the chemicals needed for it comes from cannabis… so, I’m rich again.” Hoyt smirked.

 

The evening went by quickly and soon they were heading to bed. Hoyt had given Jason one of the many bedrooms upstairs. It was similar to Hoyt’s with a king-sized bed and expensive furniture.  
Jason was lying on the bed, remembering the day’s events, especially Vaas’ behaviour in the kitchen. He knew that Vaas was unexplainable even at the best of times but Jason really did not want to get on Hoyt’s bad side. At the moment, the drug lord seemed rather tolerant of Jason’s presence despite their shared past and if he knew about Jason’s feelings for Vaas… Jason didn’t want to think about it.

Jason stood up to inspect the room. He checked the chest of drawers and found fresh clothes folded neatly inside. Hoping that Hoyt wouldn’t mind, Jason choose a tshirt and boxers and went into the adjacent bathroom.  
There was a shower in the far left corner and Jason immediately turned on the hot water and stripped down. He looked into the mirror and almost didn’t recognize himself.  
His scruffy beard aged him by ten years and the dirt and blood had seeped deep into his skin giving him a grey, sick complexion. Sighing deeply, he twisted the tap and smiled as clear warm water poured out. He splashed water onto his eyes and cheeks, letting the muddy water drip into the sink. Looking back up into the mirror, he smiled weakly and stepped under the hot spray of the shower. The near-boiling heat made him hiss but he eventually adjusted to the temperature and the tension and aches in his body melted away.  
It felt like an hour after Jason finally stepped out of the shower and wiped the steamy mirror with his hand. Preferring to dry naturally, he went through the drawers under the sink and found a new razor and shaving cream. Once he was done, he looked back up and Jason finally looked like himself again. His body had completely changed over the last years. Jason’s soft skin had become hard and calloused and his muscles had developed. The young man who had sky-dived to Rook was long gone. The man who stared back at Jason in the mirror was a warrior.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, I know I'm meant to be updating each day *sigh* but I'm still working on chapter 16. It's long AF so yh it's worth the wait cuz smut lovely smut :D Don't forget to comment and leave kudos, it's really appreciated!!!  
> This chapter is a bit of a short one.

The next morning Jason woke to the sound of birds and wild animals roaming the jungle. He blinked the sleepiness away and turned his body and face away from the bright light shining through the window. Damn, I thought I pulled down the blinds… Lazily sitting up, Jason untangled the bed sheets and went to the bathroom to freshen up. When he was done, he looked in the mirror and saw that his skin had lost that dull grey look to it. He looked healthier. 

The kitchen was filled with laughter that was interrupted as Jason caught a glimpse of the couple sharing a long kiss. Clearing his throat, Jason went to the stove to fill up a plate with eggs.   
“Hiya, you slept well Jas?” Vaas asked, munching on a fruit.  
“Fuck yes. I haven’t slept in a real bed for months. Thank you for letting me stay here.” Jason turned to Hoyt, whose face was unreadable.  
“You’re very welcome. So,” The drug lord clapped his hands together. “What are we going to do with you?”  
“I’m not gonna get in your way, Hoyt. I came here to live out my life peacefully. No killing. No Rakyat.”  
“Good. I’m glad to hear it. However, if you do anything I consider out of line, you’re dead.”  
Jason nodded, looking away from Hoyt’s cold stare. The drug lord grinned widely.  
“Right, well then. I’ll give you some cash and I expect you to be out by tomorrow.”  
Jason nodded again but Vaas stood up abruptly.  
“No fucking way! You can’t just kick him away! He saved my fucking life and brought me here!”  
“What are you talking about?”  
“I tried to jump off a roof a few weeks ago. Jason stopped me. I… No. We owe it to him.”  
“Whoa what? Slow down!”  
“He saved my life, okay? Let him stay here. Or come back to my island.”  
“Vaas…”  
“No. Let him stay.” Hoyt glared at the pirate but Vaas refused to change his mind. Jason sat awkwardly at the kitchen table between the two stood men, trying to remain silent. 

The tension slowly dissipated as Hoyt backed down, giving in to Vaas’ demand. The pirate remained standing but nodded his thanks at his partner.  
Hoyt turned to Jason, sneered, and walked out of the kitchen. As soon as he disappeared upstairs, Jason breathed out a breath that he didn’t know he was holding. Vaas slumped into the chair opposite him, laughing under his breath.  
“Why did you do that?” Jason questioned, poking at his now-cold meal with his fork.  
“Because I like you.”  
“Like me? No. No! Vaas, you just fought so hard to get back here! I won’t let you fuck things up with him now.”  
“Don’t you fucking tell me what to do, hermano!”  
“Vaas, I refuse to be part of this. Give the guy a break before you spawn something up like this…” The pirate seemed to think it over and his anger diminished as he realised what he had asked for. Sighing into his hands, Vaas groaned.  
“I really don’t want you to just walk away. If you go, I won’t see you again.”  
“What makes you think that?” Vaas shot him a look and Jason bit back his words.  
“I want you with me…”  
“But you also want Hoyt.”  
“Yeah… Is that so much to ask for?”  
“Yes. Hoyt and I will never agree on anything or even get along… You’re asking for too much, Vaas.”  
“Is that what you want?” Both turned to Hoyt who stood slouched against the doorway, seemingly more calm now. Vaas looked away, nodding his head.  
“Yes… You both mean the world to me.”  
“Go outside, Vaas. Clear your head. Hunt. I don’t give a shit, just get out.”

The pirate turned to Hoyt, heart broken and the blank look he received made him whimper slightly. He gently pressed a kiss against Hoyt’s cheek as he passed him and left the house. Jason remained silent as Hoyt sat opposite him. Refusing to meet eyes with him, Jason focused on the oak table. It was a simple, round four-seater. It was basic unlike the rest of the furniture.  
“Any ideas on how to deal with this?” Hoyt asked, voice passive and devoid of emotions.  
“He’s serious so maybe we should humour him…”  
“So, go along with his wishes.”   
“For the time being. There’s a chance he won’t like it and ask me to leave.”  
“Let’s hope that’s the case.”  
“Look, I get that you fucking hate me. You’ve every right to, but Vaas cares for the both of us. Whether or not it’s just a desperate need for attention, he will still be hurt if I get up and leave him like that. I’m the only one he trusted enough back there. He has you now. But let’s allow him at least this, even for a few days.”  
“And what if he wants the both of us in bed with him at the same time?”  
Jason cringed inwardly but kept a straight face.  
“If it gets to that, then we’ll tell him no. Just let him have this.”  
“Fine. But if either one of you takes it too far, I’ll personally hand you over to my men.”

 

An hour or so later and Jason was sitting on the couch flicking lazily through the TV channels on the plasma screen above the fireplace. He had been given new clothes as well after Hoyt had realised that Jason had taken ones from upstairs. At the moment, Hoyt was upstairs doing god knows what.  
The front door closed quietly and Jason glanced over his should to see the pirate lord entering the living room. Jason stood and walked to Vaas. The pirate flinched slightly as Jason’s arms wrapped around him but he soon hugged back, burying his face in Jason’s neck.   
“Hoyt’s allowing this for the time being.” Vaas harshly pulled away holding Jason at arm’s length, searching the other’s face for any sign of deceit.  
“You mean that? So you’re staying?” Jason nodded and the pirate forcefully pulled him into a long hug. Jason smiled as Vaas pulled away and ran past him towards the stairs.  
“Vaas! Wait! Hoyt isn’t happy about this so don’t ask for anything else.” Vaas smirked at him but agreed nonetheless. The pirate disappeared and Jason could hear him upstairs thanking Hoyt over and over again.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut at the end! Also I finally finished this, I hope you all enjoy the ending on the next chapter.

Over the next two weeks, Jason stayed in the house with Hoyt and Vaas. The first days were awkward at best but soon they found a simple rhythm. Hoyt would leave early in the morning, avoiding Jason. Then Jason and Vaas would eat breakfast together, hunt on good days whilst Vaas checked on his island and came back late in the evening. Every night they took turns cooking and cleaning during which Vaas would sneak off to avoid duties, leaving Jason and Hoyt alone in the kitchen.  
The mutual hatred seemed to be disappearing as well much to Jason’s relief. 

Recently Vaas was trying to please Hoyt as much as possible. He cleaned the house whilst the other was gone and tried his best when dealing with merchandise. But Vaas was also trying to please Jason as well. Vaas cooked him meals and taught him how to hunt properly and they often stayed by the beach to fish and relax in the heat. Jason loved the shining white sand and the calm waves that appeared crystal-clear when he was sitting onboard a boat which Vaas had recovered nearby. The heat seemed to make his mind foggy and numb. He soon forgot about Seattle and his friends and at some point, he forgot when, Jason couldn’t bring himself to remember their faces anymore. He couldn’t picture Liza’s child-like face in his mind and the thought ought to alarm him, but instead, he closed his eyes and laid back in the hammock. 

His senses were sharpening again and he could hear the rustling of leaves. Vaas. The scent of weed was overpowering as the other leaned closer to him. Warm lips pressed against Jason’s and the latter found himself kissing back. Opening his eyes, he could see that Vaas’ shirt was sprayed with blood but the thought didn’t bother him. It meant that Vaas was back. Mentally. The desperation and longing in his eyes were gone.  
His thoughts were interrupted as Vaas licked across his lips to part them. Jason let him and gasped as Vaas sucked lightly on his tongue. Jason moaned deeply as they fought for dominance. Vaas’ hands gently cupped Jason’s face. The kiss became more soft and Jason couldn’t help but whimper slightly as Vaas pulled away.

“Jason... I love you.” Vaas whispered against Jason’s lips. Jason pulled away, holding Vaas away from him. The pirate looked hurt but he didn’t react.  
“Vaas, you have Hoyt. You fought so hard to get here. Don’t throw that away. I won’t let you.”  
“No, no, no. You’ve got this all wrong, hermano! I love you both. I don’t want you to leave and I can’t lose him. Why not just all be together?”  
“You know why! Hoyt and I hate each other! I destroyed his work, killed his men, burned his drugs…. I fucking stabbed him!”  
“We can make this work!”  
“How? If you go and ask him, he‘ll yell at you and you‘ll probably lose him forever.”  
“Just trust me! Please, Jason…”  
Jason sighed, looking at the pleading man. Vaas was holding both of Jason’s hands between his own.   
“Is that why you've been so co-operative? To get on his good side?” Vaas grinned brightly, bowing his head with a small laugh. He nodded, still smiling sheepishly.  
“Alright. Try. But if this fucks up, I’m getting the fuck off of this island and back to the North.”

 

The chatter of birds outside had died down as the sun hid behind the hills. Tigers roamed the long grass nearby, the squeal of a wild boar ripping through the silence that engulfed the South Island. The large mansion was lit up and the warm glow illuminated the road that led to the front doors. As Hoyt drove into the gravelled area in front of the house, he noticed a sand coloured Jeep next to the garage door. He parked and stepped out, greeted by Vaas leaning in the doorway of the mansion.   
“Hey Tiger.” Vaas smiled, hugging Hoyt and kissing him deeply before allowing him into the house.  
“How was your day?” The pirate asked, walking into the living room where Jason was turning off the TV. The latter disappeared and Hoyt took his seat on the plush leather couch. He relaxed, sighing deeply and rubbing his eyes before removing his blazer.  
“Tiring. I lost a lot of money to some guy.” Vaas laughed quietly, earning a smack on the arm from Hoyt.  
“What? You have to lose sometimes!” Hoyt sighed, smirking at Vaas before pulling the pirate down into a long kiss. Vaas moaned, moving to sit in Hoyt’s lap. The latter grinned against his lips, grabbing Vaas’ ass and pulling him closer until Hoyt had to tilt his head back to kiss him again. Vaas jumped slightly as he felt a finger trail along his clothed thigh towards his hole. He pulled away from Hoyt, sitting casually in his lap. Hoyt tried to hide his annoyance but it was too obvious. To make up for it, he leaned in, whispering in to his ear.  
“You’ll have to wait till tonight, mi amor.” Vaas teased Hoyt by grinding his hips down in circles. Hoyt groaned but let the other pull him up. They stood kissing a bit longer until the smell of cooked food distracted Vaas. It wasn’t long until he was running into the kitchen like a starved tiger. Hoyt smirked and followed the hyper-active pirate into a huge mess.

Hoyt stood in the doorway of the kitchen, gaping at the amounts of food spread out everywhere. Flour had somehow gotten from the bag onto the floor. A white handprint decorated Jason’s ass. Hoyt groaned inwardly.  
“What the fuck happened?” He asked, voice strained to contain his anger.   
Jason turned from the stove with a smile.  
“Dinner. Vaas and I wanted to do something nice.” The pirate grinned brightly before kissing his lover on the cheek.   
“I’ll let you get on with that then.”  
“Oh come on, stay! Do something with us!” Vaas pleaded.  
“Like what? Jason seems to have moderate control in here.”  
“Drink with me!”  
“No way.”  
“I’ll play poker with you!”  
“Deal.” Hoyt laughed as Vaas realised his fate. He pulled the pirate into his arms, holding him tight as he kissed his forehead gently. 

 

It was late in the evening when they finally sat down at the dining table. Jason had prepared the posh room with candles and flowers that Vaas had picked out. The table was laden with silver cutlery and an expensive wine bottle was opened and served to each person. Jason had struggled to find good meat, well any edible food actually, in the house. Hoyt kept things basic so Jason had to go to the nearest town that imported expensive meats. Thankfully, there was plenty and Jason managed to pay with his own money.   
So now, they were eating rump steak from England with vegetables found on the Island. All in all, Jason was proud.  
Everyone enjoyed the meal and Hoyt even complimented him. The praise from Vaas was unending and Jason would’ve found it annoying if it wasn’t for the smile he was getting from the pirate. It wasn’t one of his ‘I-told-you-so’ smirks, it was one that made him appear more human and kind. Jason was beginning to love that smile.

Everything depended on this night. Vaas and Jason had agreed to do their best to get the right response. If Hoyt agreed to have Jason join his life and relationship, then all would be good. No fighting. No death glares. But if Hoyt declined, then there would be a chance that Vaas would be dumped and Jason shot at point-blank range.  
The evening went by quietly. After the meal, they played poker and drank more wine. Thankfully Vaas was sober because now came the time. 

Jason cleared his throat after the game to get Vaas’ attention. The pirate straightened up, no longer slouching against Hoyt. Vaas turned to Hoyt, holding his hands in his own.  
“Hoyt, there’s something that Jason and I would like to ask of you.” The crime lord nodded, allowing Vaas to continue.   
“I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently. I already told Jason my plan and now you need to hear it.” Vaas sighed deeply, contemplating his next words.  
“Hoyt, I love you. You’ve saved my life over and over again. I will never forget anything you've ever done for me. The thing is, I also love Jason. Now, I know you’re gonna get angry, and hermano, that’s fair enough. But both Jason and I would like to try and live in a relationship with you at the same time. It might not work. But I want to try anyways. Would you be alright with that?”  
Hoyt was silent. He glanced between the two men and fixated on Vaas. Hoyt burst out laughing and tried to calm himself with another drink. He eventually calmed down enough to make sense before facing Vaas, who was immensely confused.  
“Those were the most formal words to ever come out of your mouth. Not a single swear. I’m genuinely impressed.” Jason snorted.  
“Well, you both seem to have gone out of your way this evening, and since I’m in such a good mood, I will allow this. But we need rules.  
The first should be that if one of us doesn't consent the others back off, alright?” Jason and Vaas nodded.  
“Good. And you,” Hoyt pointed to Jason, “If you try to take Vaas from me, I’ll use your head as a doorknocker, got it?” He smirked. Jason gulped inaudibly and nodded.   
As Hoyt’s threat lingered in the air, Jason knew how dangerous this was. He had never been in a polyandrous relationship before. Hell, he had never slept with another man, aside from a drunk night in college. Jason felt singled out. He barely knew Vaas and knew even less about Hoyt. The two were so close together that it felt wrong to intrude. Sure, he would like to know Vaas in a more intimate way but he wasn’t willing to die over it. What if he made a wrong move? 

After their talk, Jason had gone off to clean the dishes and eventually go up to his room to clean up. The constant noise of the shower couldn’t mask the sounds coming from the master bedroom. Deciding to sleep immediately, he wrapped himself under the cool blanket.  
Eventually the moaning got to him and he became rock hard. Jason slipped his hand down to grasp himself and slowly pull his hand up and down. The pleasure echoed through his body and he had to bite his hand to keep quiet. It felt amazing to finally jerk off again without interruption.   
In the other room, Vaas moaned impossibly loud. It made Jason’s cock twitch against his hand and he moaned almost as loudly as the pirate. He stopped biting his hand to muffle his sounds and just concentrated on pumping himself. Jason gripped himself harder as he felt the spikes of pleasure start to rise. He unknowingly came at the same time as Vaas. Cum spurted out in thick ropes across his hand and chest, some reaching near his throat.   
Collapsing back on the bed, he panted breathlessly for a while. As he began to calm down, he trailed his fingers in the warm cum and brought it up to his lips. The strong smell almost put him off but he swiped his tongue against it. The taste was unique and very salty but he liked it. Some part of his mind was telling him that this was wrong but he ignored it, sucking lightly on his fingers and seductively licking his fingertips.  
Jason fell asleep shortly after cleaning himself with a towel. He didn’t know that both Hoyt and Vaas had clearly heard him and were stifling their laughter.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter! Lots of smut!!!!   
> I'll put another note at the bottom to explain all this and my inspirations.

Breakfast the next morning was slightly awkward. Hoyt had managed to mostly keep quiet but occasionally chuckled when Vaas imitated Jason. Like, pretending to suck cock or jerking off with his head thrown back comically. Jason, on the other hand, was completely oblivious and carried on washing the dishes with his back turned before leaving to go fishing. It was the right time of year when shoals of fish would gather near to the coast where the manor was situated. He spent most of the day on the boat, regularly diving down to catch a crab. He wanted to make something different tonight.

Fortunately he came home to an empty house. That left him several hours to prepare the fish and crab he had caught and set the table. The sun was beginning to set when the crunch of tires against gravel woke him up. He had fallen asleep at the kitchen table after he had finished cooking. Jason rushed to check the food and reassured himself just as Hoyt walked in.  
“Evening.” Hoyt greeted, removing his blazer and draping it across the back of the couch.  
“Hey. How was your day?” Jason cringed slightly and the other seemed to as well.  
“Fine. You?”   
“It was ok. Hope you’re hungry.”  
“Definitely. So, what has the cook bestowed upon us tonight?” Jason moved away from the stove to show him the frying pans filled with shell fish and vegetables.  
“Looks delicious. So…”  
“Yes?”  
“What do we do about Vaas? He’ll want something special soon.”  
“Special?” Jason asked, oblivious.   
“Sex.”  
“Right. Um, look I’ll be honest… I’ve never been with a guy before.”  
“That won’t deter him.”  
“Yeah, I know. But what about you, will that stop you?”  
“Not particularly.” Jason nodded, hanging his head in defeat and sighing.  
“So, this is happening whether I like it or not?”  
“Not exactly. Tell me something Jason. What did you do to make Vaas become obsessed with you?”  
“Nothing. He always tried to kill me and it failed.”  
“And in the US?”  
“I’m not sure. Look, you should ask him yourself…”  
“I’m asking you.” Jason looked up to see Hoyt leaning against the kitchen table with a determined look across his features and his arms crossed over his chest. He had rolled up his sleeves and Jason could see part of a scar on the inside of his forearm that ran from below his elbow and upwards. Hoyt instinctively covered it with his hand when he noticed Jason’s stare. Sighing, Jason gathered up the courage to speak.

“Vaas had no will to live and when I showed up, I told him my plan to come here. He made me promise that I’d arrive safely. I stopped him jumping off a roof by guilting him with you. He thought you were dead and that he’d see you after death or some bullshit like that. I told him that he would see you here alive and well. Well, kinda alive I guess. I suppose I just helped him during a rough patch.”  
“That and I find you fascinating and hot as fuck.” Vaas grinned, hugging Hoyt from behind and making the older man jump slightly in surprise. The pirate kissed him deeply before moving to Jason and giving him a soft kiss on the lips. Jason melted into it and soon he parted his lips to allow Vaas’ tongue to slip between them. They moaned as Vaas brought their bodies closer together, his arms wrapping around Jason’s waist. Hoyt made no comment and went upstairs to change his clothes.

 

Later that evening, they sat down and ate. Everyone enjoyed the meal and soon they were sat playing poker again. Yet this was different. Vaas had wanted to play something more fun and each time someone lost they had to be kissed by the others. It was absurd and Jason was praying during each round not to lose. Luckily it was Vaas that had the worse hand out of the three but he still felt like he won. Smirking to himself, Vaas was handed new cards and saw that he would likely win. It turned out that he lost again.  
Eventually, Vaas got bored and gave up, throwing the cards onto the kitchen table with a groan. This left Jason slightly scared as his hand was shit. Jason whimpered slightly as Hoyt pressed his lips gently against his own. Smirking, the older man pulled away and started a new game.   
Jason lost a couple more times and each time he got more confident. Eventually, Hoyt lost for the first time. Jason leaned in and started to kiss the other more passionately. Hoyt moaned quietly as though he was trying not to make noise. He could feel Jason smirk against him and Hoyt soon had a heavy toned body in his lap. Vaas almost wanted to whistle but he feared that distraction would stop them. Both Jason and Hoyt were now moaning shamelessly as Jason’s tongue danced across his own.   
The younger man started to grind down in his lap. Teasingly moving his hips in circles at first and then dipping down hard against the other’s cock. Jason parted his lips to let Hoyt slip his tongue in. At first he was gentle but then started to brutally kiss Jason until his loud moans turned into near-desperate screams of pleasure. Hoyt moved his lips to Jason’s neck, kissing his way around Jason’s jaw before biting hard on his soft skin. Jason yelped at the pain and moaned deeply as Hoyt licked the sore mark and sucked lightly until the mark turned a deep red. Hoyt kept marking Jason down towards his collar bone.   
Jason had become restless and extremely hard as Hoyt man-handled him to lie on the couch underneath the older man. Hoyt pulled Jason’s t-shirt off and the cold leather made Jason wince slightly as he was pressed further into it. His jeans were about to be unzipped when Vaas stopped them.  
“Maybe we should do this upstairs?” Hoyt nodded, effortlessly pulling Jason up and dragging him upstairs.

 

Jason was roughly pushed backwards onto the bed, hair sticking out in odd places, looking up with lust filled eyes. He smirked as Vaas walking in completely confused and turned on, his hard on obviously outlined against his cargo trousers. Vaas took his own shirt off, dropping it on the ground before moving on to his trousers.  
As Jason was distracted by Vaas’ body, Hoyt took the opportunity to undress and lay his clothes across a chair. He came to Jason’s side and cupped his cheek gently and kissed him softly. Jason sighed blissfully and kissed him back. Hoyt pulled away, looking serious.  
“Jason, are you sure about this? Try not to think with your dick, ok? Do you want to go on further?”   
“Yes, I’m sure.”  
“We’re not gonna stop-”  
“I’m sure.” Hoyt nodded, kissing Jason once more before standing up straight and grabbing Vaas by the waist. The pirate smirked.  
“Thought you were ignoring me.”  
“Never.” Whatever else Vaas was going to reply was cut off by Hoyt’s lips pressing deeply against his own.  
After a few minutes, Vaas moved to Jason and started kissing him, sitting in Jason’s lap naked, his erection pressed between their stomachs. Jason moved at the contact and he couldn’t help but wrap his hand around Vaas’ length. Pleasure flowed through him as Jason thought about the hard cock pressed against his bare skin.   
Suddenly the bed dipped and Hoyt began to kiss Jason’s neck again, this time more gently. He kissed the sore spots and licked them before moving on to the next one.  
Jason became unbearably hard and it began to hurt as his cock was pushing against the zipper of his jeans. As if reading his mind, Vaas unzipped him and grabbed his cock through his boxers. Jason moaned loudly as pleasure erupted throughout his whole body. It left him tingling and on the verge of coming. The hand started to rub him but Vaas moved out his lap to remove Jason’s remaining clothes. Jason whimpered at the loss of contact but Vaas sat back on him, holding their hard cocks in his warm hand. Jason moaned but it turned into a half scream as he felt a wet tongue circle his nipple. Hoyt blew cold air on it and began to suck lightly, enjoying Jason’s never ending moans. He moved on to the next one as Vaas carried on pumping them unbearably slowly. 

Jason was once again man-handled so that he was sitting up in Vaas’ lap whilst Hoyt sat behind him, trailing kisses down his spine. He moaned as Vaas kissed him deeply, thrusting his cock against Jason’s. Hoyt pushed at Jason’s back so that Vaas could lie down with Jason on all fours on top of the pirate. Jason felt Hoyt’s lips move slowly down his back as his hands came up to massage his thighs. He yelped loudly as he felt Hoyt tongue circle his hole teasingly as if asking for permission. Jason moaned as the tongue pressed in deeper. His cock was wet with precum and Vaas used it to play with Jason’s slit, moving his thumb around it before tugging his cock to stop Jason’s nearing orgasm.  
“Don’t want you to come just yet love.” Vaas explained when Jason whimpered pathetically. Accepting his fate, he relaxed against the mouth playing with his hole and the tongue constantly dipping in and out. In and out. The rhythm brought him closer and closer and just as he felt like he would cum on the spot, stimulated only Vaas’ hand and Hoyt’s tongue. They stopped. Both of them stopped. Jason felt like screaming until he felt fingers probe at his lips, hesitantly he let them in.   
“Get them nice and wet darling, you’ll need it.” Hoyt murmured, rubbing Jason’s thigh comfortingly.  
Jason did as he was told, sucking lightly on them and letting his tongue dance around the fingertips seductively. Hoyt moaned approvingly and Jason was rewarded by a hard cock pressed against his ass. Jason pushed back against it and twisted his hips until he repositioned it to be underneath him but still against his body. The tip touching his balls lightly. Jason loved it when Hoyt moved ever so slightly and his cock rubbed the soft skin between his hole and balls. He tried to move down on it to feel more friction but Hoyt reminded him to suck on his fingers. Eventually, he deemed them wet enough and pulled them out with a ‘pop’.

Jason feel wet fingers trace his hole lightly, occasionally pressing in. The first digit pressed in gently and moved around to loosen his tight muscles. Jason adjusted easily and another finger entered him, scissoring him carefully until he was moaning once more. In the meantime Vaas had started a steady rhythm. He gripped Jason’s cock firmly, letting him feel pain occasionally just to keep him on the edge.  
The pirate grabbed the back of Jason’s neck and pulled him down into a bruising kiss. Vaas wasn’t as careful as Hoyt. He bit at Jason’s lips teasingly, their teeth clashing whenever Vaas wanted a little more from his partner. 

Jason felt the warm edge of his orgasm nearing and as he felt spikes of pleasure, Hoyt pulled his fingers out leaving Jason whimpering.  
“Please…Don’t stop… It felt so g-” Jason’s words was cut off as Hoyt trusted deeply inside him. Jason cried out in pain and he feared that Hoyt would be merciless but the drug lord didn’t push in further. He didn’t move until Jason relaxed against him, the hard length felt immensely larger now that it was inside him.   
The pain eased away and Hoyt carefully pulled out slightly before thrusting in once more. This time wasn’t nearly as painful.  
He began to pick up his pace and soon Jason was loose enough for him to thrust faster and harder until Jason was screaming in pleasure.   
Jason didn’t know how long this lasted but Hoyt began to slow down. His thrusts were still deep though.   
“Wh- why are you?” Jason couldn’t make a coherent sentence anymore. His entire body pulsed with pleasure and the need to cum.  
“Ssh Jason, it’s okay. Imma take care of you now…” Vaas moved Jason’s body so that he was laid down with his back against Hoyt’s chest and Vaas on top of him.  
Hoyt was still fucking him gently to kept him stretched.

Jason closed his eyes with a moan as he felt Vaas’ lips kiss his own. He let the other play with his tongue before Vaas started to kiss down his throat, along his jaw line to suck lightly on his ear. Vaas chuckled against Jason as he squeaked slightly when a playful hand caressed his side.  
“Ticklish?” Vaas smirked as he ran his hand against Jason’s ribs once more before settling on a nipple, slowly circling it with his thumb before placing his lips on it. He sucked gently on the nub, twirling his tongue and pressing harder against it occasionally to hear Jason whimper.  
“Such a sexy boy… Do you know what you are Jason?” Vaas asked, moving his lips to the other nub. Jason shook his head, feeling too enthralled to respond properly.  
“You’re my bitch Jason. You’re my filthy little bitch and you love every second of it.” He emphasised his words by reaching for Jason’s neglected cock and tugging it a few times. Jason cried out as he felt his orgasm nearing once more. Suddenly Hoyt started kissing his neck forcefully, leaving dark marks that he licked over to ease the sharp pain. Jason had never felt so turned on in his life.

Vaas smirked as Jason was distracted enough for him to get between Jason’s legs and tease his filled hole with his hard cock. Jason’s eyes flew open and he looked down at Vaas uncertainly.  
“It’s okay hermano. I’m gonna be real careful with you, okay? It’s alright. I know you American sluts can take more than one at a time…”  
Jason nodded slowly, fear obvious in his expression but Hoyt started to play with his hair and gently massaging his body as Vaas began to scissor him whilst Hoyt was still deep inside Jason. The feeling was intense. His skin hurt from the stretching just like at the beginning of this evening. God, it felt like ages ago, Jason thought.  
He began to open up slightly more. Vaas was right, he really could stretch.  
The feeling of a cock and fingers was unlike anything he’d ever imagined. Hoyt’s cock was impressive and the steady thrusts calmed Jason. Vaas’ long digits broke the trance yet Jason couldn‘t help but get aroused further, though he was beginning to doubt he could get more turned on. 

“Hey, Jas? You ready? It’s gonna hurt a little but I know you can take it.” Vaas’ voice soothed him as the pirate started to press his length against Jason. He thrust in gently little by little until Jason was filled up with two cocks.  
It felt so good but it was painful and hard to move. Hoyt kept kissing his neck while Vaas played with his cock.  
The pirate had been very thoughtful and lubed up his length so Jason’s hole was wet and inviting.   
Hoyt thrusted first, fucking Jason until he was begging to cum. Then Vaas joined in. The two built up a rhythm until Jason was so close.   
“Please… Please… I’m going t-” This time no one stopped him, instead both Hoyt and Vaas grasped Jason’s cock until Jason came hard. His cum splattering across his and Vaas’ chest in thick ropes. The orgasm made him tense around their erections, bringing them both to their own bliss as Vaas began to thrust maniacally until he also came hard, deep inside Jason. He pulled out, exhausted.  
Hoyt, however, wasn’t done with Jason.  
He pulled out and pushed Jason onto his hands and knees and fucked him until he came. 

 

Later that night, Vaas had taken a shower with Hoyt, leaving Jason to lie on the warm bed. When they returned, Vaas had taken Jason into the shower and washed the cum and sweat from the tired man. He was too sleepy to do anything but lean against Vaas’ chest lazily whilst the other caressed his body.   
At some point he had fallen asleep, and woken in a warm bed with someone’s arms wrapped around him and another beside him with their face pressed against Jason‘s neck.   
Jason fell asleep feeling safe and loved for the first time in a long time. He dreamt of Rook and Vaas and Hoyt and the tigers roaming the islands. The beautiful tigers that the Rakyat had deemed perfect for Vaas’ tataus.   
He never looked back on his decision to leave his friends and return home to Rook. He cherished each day for his new life living with the two insane criminals that will, over time, become his lovers.

 

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole story was based on the idea of Jason finding Vaas in a post-apocalyptic. I went through many ideas and this story ended up being the winner. The first part in Seattle was clear to me and I just kept the flow and ideology of the story throughout. The end however, posed a problem. I can't end a story. Yet I think this is a good ending that closes the chapter perfectly.   
> I want you guys to reply if you can and tell me what you thought and what you liked/ didn't like. I plan to write short stories that follow this main own to explain certain points or just add more plot.   
> SO I really hope you enjoyed this, it's taken me 3-4 months to complete and I would love comments and kudos! Have a wonderful day dear reader <3


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